A Love on the Water
by whirrledpeas
Summary: Arizona Robbins and her younger brother own and operate the Sandy Point Marina, a small boating community in the waters of the Chesapeake Bay. When a transient couple docks in for a few days with their friends, they find their lives, their summer, and their hearts forever changed. Calzona-centric with MerDer and Crowen pairings. A/U
1. Chapter 1

**Pairing: Callie/Arizona**

**Genre: Romance/AU**

**Rating: T for now, M later**

**A/N: Hey guys. I am not trying to double-dip or whatever that is called, but I have posted this fic here on ff as a Brittana fic. Originally, however, this version was written for Calzona. I have been asked by a couple of people here to post it as such, so here we are. The story is done and I will try to post a chapter every couple of days. For those of you who haven't read this, I hope you enjoy. It took a long time and 95% of this story is true. Thanks! -Holly**

**Love on the Water,  
**Part 1

Arizona woke to her alarm going off, very loudly, at a quarter to six in the morning. "Ugh," she groaned. The blonde was _**not **_a morning person by any means. No, let's not quite say that - she actually loved mornings. She loved the sunrise, the smell of breakfast cooking and coffee brewing…the stillness of the water at daybreak. But to physically get out of bed? Nope, Arizona Robbins was not a fan of that at all. She rolled back over and buried herself in the covers.

"Arizona, wake up! It's six and you need to get going, hon!" her mother yelled from the bathroom. Arizona was half awake now, really wanting just 'another five minutes' before getting out of bed. Unfortunately, she was one of those people who actually took those five minutes and ended up being two hours late for work everyday. Her parents knew this.

Her dad walked into her room. "Ari, get up - it's 6:15."

"No."

"Yes. You're going to be late."

"Five more minutes," she mumbled from beneathe the covers.

"No," her father said.

"Yes."

_Splash! _About two cups of cold water found Arizona's face.

And with that, she was up. She looked at her clock. 6:20. She had to be at George's to pick him up in ten minutes. She grabbed a tank top, pair of shorts, her bra and was out the door. Minutes later, she was parked in front of the O'Malley house, honking her horn.

George came stumbling out of his house a few minutes later and got into the car. Arizona laughed. "Drunk from last night, or just wake up?" she asked.

"Both."

"I see. You know, you should really start getting some adequate rest, Mr. O'Malley. Considering what you do for a living, I wouldn't want you getting yourself injured or anything." she giggled.

"Whatever Robbins, looks like you just woke up yourself."

"Me? Naw, I've been up since like 5:30."

"Sure ya have," George said with a sleepy smirk.

They worked at the Sandy Point Marina, a small boating community that rested on the Chesapeake Bay. Arizona ran the marina's ship store and George worked in the boat yard along with Mark and Arizona's brother, James. James owned the marina and had recruited Arizona to manage the ship store after their grandmother had passed away. She and the guys were all very close with each other and had been for years.

Arizona and George pulled into the corner market to get breakfast and coffee, just as they did every morning before work. "I don't know how you drink your coffee black," George muttered as he dumped sugar in his cup.

"Whatever, It's good like that. You ruin it putting in all that crap." Arizona replied as they made their way to the register.

"Mornin' guys, looking mighty chipper today. Rough night last night?, the regular morning clerk said.

"You could say that." George confessed,resting his head on the counter.

"No surprise to me, that's the usual down there at the marina for you guys, right?" Finn asked.

"For the boys, it is, but I went to bed suuuper early last night," Arizona replied with a grin.

"Sure ya did," Both George and Finn said in unison as the blonde pouted playfully in defeat.

It was no secret to everyone in Sandy Point that Arizona and the guys partied at the marina every night. They were young and had fun. They took their boats out almost every day, had a few beers and a lot of laughs. It was life on the river. It was a simple life…and they loved it.

The sleepy duo made their way out of the corner market with food and drinks for everyone in hand. They pulled up to the marina just at seven a.m. Arizona got her clothes and her coffee and went to the office to open up. She changed out of her pajamas, brushed her teeth, clocked in and went to the lower shop where the guys usually started their day. Mark and George were waiting for her when she got there.

"So, rock, paper, scissors for who's gonna wake James up today?" George asked. Like Arizona, her brother was not a morning person either. But unlike her, he drank a little more than the average person and it was a bitch and a half getting him up every morning. To his advantage, however, James lived on-site in his trailer. They all agreed to the game, just as they did every morning. Mark lost.

Fourty-five minutes later, Mark and James came into the shop. "So," Arizona asked, looking at the wall calendar where they kept their work orders. "What's going on today?"

Mark gave a hungover groan as he ran his fingers through his brown hair. "Well, I am painting the boot stripe on the _Pathfinder_, then we're gonna put in back in the water. And I think George is putting in a couple of toilets on _Hermonie_."

"And you, James?" Arizona asked.

"I'm finishing a dock up down on the creek, then I guess I'll do some work Dr. Avery's boat. Oh, and we have a transient that came in late last night - a 37' Grand Banks. I put them in the Dirty Dozen at the end of the dock. I'm not sure how long they are staying, but they seem very nice. And the girl is very cuuute, Arizona. I think you will like her." James said with a sleepy smirk.

Mark and George laughed as James teased his sister.

"Oh, will I?" the blonde asked, looking through some paperwork, brushing off her brother's comment. James nodded his head and walked out the door. George and Mark followed. Her curiosity sparked, Arizona flipped the 'closed' sign to 'open' and started her day.

* * *

Arizona went about her day as usual. She checked in orders, unloaded freshly delivered shipments from Mesco and Paxton, and did her weekly inventory. When her morning was coming to an end, she decided to start making lunch for the guys, just as she did everyday.

In truth, the blonde wanted to be outside in the sun, sweating and working with guys. She wanted to paint and wax. She wanted to learn how to do engine work and how make gaskets and such. But she knew there was no one else that could run the office the way she could. No one else knew where to find galvanized carriage bolts or ¼'' elbows or any of the other things people always seemed to need around the marina. Eventhough she didn't really understand what they were used for, she knew where to find them. No one else knew everyone in that marina by name, rather than face. Yes, Arizona Robbins was the only girl with enough charm to run that office, especially with all of the idiots that came through it day in and day out.

"Guys! Lunch is ready!" Arizona shouted.  
With the call, right at noon, James, George, and Mark came strolling into the shop from the boatyard. Like clockwork, Arizona and the guys always took lunch at noon. She cooked everyday except for Fridays when the four of them would go into town and eat at Joe's.

"What's for lunch today, sis?" James asked.

"Food," she replied with a bubbly smirk, watching the guys scarf on hot dogs and corn she had cooked on the grill.

"Good?" she questioned.

"Mmm Hmm."

"Yep."

You're the best, Robbins. What would we do without you?" Mark asked.

"Really, I don't know." Arizona stated matter-of-factly with a smile. Just then, the VMF radio rang aloud in the office.

"Ahhh." Arizona moaned. "I never get a decent lunch break around here. Gotta go guys. Throw your trash away, please. I think, between the three of you, you could manage to do that for me, yeah?"

"Sure boss, we got it." George replied. The blonde shook her head and went to the office for the phone, knowing she would have to clean after them later in the day, as usual. Arizona picked up the radio.

"Sandy Point Marina to _Naugty Gal_, come in." Arizona said into the mic.

"Yeah this is _Naughty Gal_, coming in from the bay. Do you have space for us at your marina overnight?"

"Uhhh, let me see," The blonde checked the slip chart to see what was available. "How long is your boat and how much water does it pull?" she asked.

"52' and we draw about eight feet. No other marinas can accommodate us, they all referred us to you guys."

"Well, I think I can help you out. Pull up to our gas dock out front and I'll meet you there and help you tie in." Arizona said. She hung up the mic, grabbed a hat, and made her way out the door and to the pier.

The docks of the Sandy Point Marina were the biggest around. There was room to accommodate about 300 boats, 150 on each side. Since the water was more shallow the further in you were, the size of the slips grew larger as you made your way down the pier.

"Hello, Mrs. Shepard." Arizona greeted. "How are we doing today?"

"I'm well, just having a martini here while Derek here finishes up this work on the teak." A cute face peeked up from the deck below with an irritated look.

"Yeah, don't see any drink in my hand, now do you?" He smiled at Arizona before turning back to his wife. "Why don't you come down here and help me, Addison?"

Arizona laughed at the couple's usual banter. Derek and Addison Shepard never seemed to get along, but they always, somehow, seemed so good for each other. Arizona continued her way down the dock to meet _Naughty Gal_. She was walking past the last part of the pier, and the best part of it in her opinion They called it the Dirty Dozen. With six slips on each side, this was the part of the marina where the partiers stayed. Every weekend, the boaters in these twelve slips had cookouts, steamed crabs, and played poker. It was the place to be in the marina. The wealthiest people in Pine Valley kept their boats there - Harper Avery, Richard Webber, and, of course, Miranda Bailey.

As Arizona was passing the last of the Dirty Dozen, she noticed a boat she had never seen before, _Esses For My Fingers. _She noted the its odd name and then it dawned on her - this must have been the transient that had come in last night.

Just as Arizona was turning around, she noticed a brunette come up from the lower cabin on this new boat. Her hair was pulled up into a messy ponytail with a few stray strands hanging around her eyes. She was dancing around, quite silly and very uncoordinated, to music playing in the cabin below. Arizona let out a small giggle. On cue, as if she had heard Arizona, the brunette turned around and pulled her sunglasses off. She wasn't embarrassed because she had been caught dancing, very badly, Arizona would later add. And she didn't wonder why the blonde had been staring at her. Instead, their eyes met and they both smiled softly. Neither of them said anything.

Realizing she was holding the gaze a little too long, Arizona snapped back into it, turned around, and made her way to meet _Naughty Gal_.

"Huh," she said to herself, with a huge smile on her face.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you guys so much for the reviews, alerts, and favorites. I'm glad you guys are liking it already. Much appreciated. xoxo**

**Chapter 2**

"Huh," The brunette said to herself before returning to the lower cabin on her boat. Watching the blonde, the girl who would soon be known to her as Arizona, walk away, she smiled and wondered who she was. What had just happened? Why the silent, yet comfortable, exchange?

"Why didn't I say hello?" she mumbled to herself. "Or at least apologize for the horrific dancing?"

Arizona threw _Naughty Gal_a line to tie up. She grabbed a bumper for the bow and tied up the other end. Once safely docked, a young couple stepped off of the 52' Chris Craft to greet her.

"Hello," a small and very attractive woman said with a friendly smile. "I'm Cristina and this here is my fiancé, Owen. We're the people that called you on the radio."

"Oh yes, and I'm Arizona." She smiled and extended her hand. "What brings you two to Sandy Point?"

"We're dropping in for a few nights to visit with some friends staying here."

"Oh yeah? Well, chances are high that I know them. I run this place and this is a pret-tee small town." the blonde added.

It was true. Everyone knew everyone in Sandy Point and everyone had a boat at the marina, so little happened without Arizona or one of the guys knowing about it. Between the four of them, they knew everyone.

"Callie and Steph?" Owen asked. "They have a Grand Banks here, _Esses for My Fingers_? Just came in last night I think. Do you know them?"

_So that was her name_, Arizona thought to herself. _Callie._ Arizona dazed out of the conversation, thinking about the brunette she had semi-met just moments ago. But Callie _and_ Steph? Was Steph short for Steph_anie_ or short for Steph_an_? Girl or boy? Couple? Callie. Pretty name. Messy hair. Amazing eyes.

"So, do you know them?" Owen asked again.

Snapping out of her daze, Arizona answered with a soft smile, "Ahh, the boat with the funny name. Yes, I think we kinda just met."

She turned around towards the pier. "Here, I'll take you guys down to their boat - it's just down the dock a bit." She offered with a smile.

Cristina and Owen liked Arizona right from the start for some reason. She was super friendly, but had this certain charm about her. This was nothing new - everyone liked Arizona, especially the guys.

"_So what are you guys doing tonight? Arizona asked._

"_Guy's night out, gotta get away from our old ladies." Mark said._

"_Umm, none of you guys have old ladies. But, I'll see you guys tomorrow - on __**time**__, okay?"_

"_What are you talking about, sis? You're not coming with?" James asked._

"_Well, you said that it was guy's night out. In case you haven't noticed, I'm not a boy," the blonde laughed, pointing to her chest._

"_That's different, Robbins. It's __**you**__. You're super cool and everyone likes you. Besides, you help us get all the girls." Mark said with a laugh._

"_Yo, seriously boss, they're right, so you're coming with us." George said throwing his arm around Arizona._

And that was that. From then on, she went everywhere with the trio, even on 'Guy's Night Out'. They became inseparable.

Arizona led Cristina and Owen down the dock to their friend's boat.

"Callie!" Cristina called out.

The brunette came up from below. "Cristina? What the hell are you doing here!" Callie ran up to her friend and threw her arms around her.

"Oh, Owen and I are on our way to the Cape and we thought we'd dock in for the night and visit with you guys."

A tall, dark haired guy came up from the cabin. Must be Steph - short for Steph_an_, Arizona concluded. He hopped off the boat and joined the others on the dock.

"Hey Owen, how ya been, man?" They shook hands. Arizona watched on as the foursome chatted.

"Cristina, is this a friend of yours?" The brunette asked, turning to Arizona.

"Nope, she helped us tie up when we came in. But I guess since we've met, we're friends now. So, yeah."

Callie looked at Arizona. "So, you work here?"

Arizona looked down and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "That, I do. I'm Arizona, nice to meet you." She extended her hand.

"Very cool. I'm Callie. Well, Calliope. But Callie's much better, less...Latin." The brunette said, brushing her messy hair out of her eyes, meeting her hand with Arizona's. _Another smile_, the blonde thought. Maybe it was the way this Callie girl was looking in her eyes, or the handshake that was lasting a little too long. Perhaps it was just this girl being in Arizona's presence, but the blonde quickly broke the silence.

"Great boat you guys have there," Arizona offered.

"Thanks." Steph replied, also offering his hand for a shake.

"Interesting name too. What does it mean?" she inquired.

"Ahhh," Callie stepped up. "That…is a secret." She flashed Arizona a smile.

"Yeah." Stephan said. "She named the boat. She hasn't even told me all of them yet, and I'm her boyfriend."

"Them?" Arizona was curious.

"Yeah, I've gotten four of them out of her, but not all five." Steph said, putting his arm around Callie. "Right, sweetie?"

"Yep, no one knows 'em all but me." the Latina said matter-of-factly, putting on a cowboy hat that had its sides flipped up.

"Ahh, well, maybe I'll learn a couple of them one of these days." Arizona said meeting her eyes with Callie's once more. Another smile.

Little did Callie know, she would soon be filling Arizona in on the mysteries behind the name of her boat. She couldn't know that now, but it would happen.

Arizona looked down at her watch. "Shit, I have to get on back to the shop, I have an order coming in, oh, about fifteen minutes ago. It was nice meeting all of you. Cristina, could you or Owen fill these out these transient papers with your info when you get a chance? You can drop them off at the store anytime."

"Sure thing."

Arizona made her way down the dock. She looked back at the group of people she had just met and saw them walking the opposite way, toward the end of the dock. Had she turned around three seconds later, she would have seen Callie doing the same thing.

A few hours later, Arizona was putting away the last of the shipment that had come in from Land n' Sea. She enjoyed working in the office because she met so many different kinds of people. Sometimes, however, she got bored - especially on the slow days. Today was a slow day.

The bell on the door dinged as a customer came in. Secretly, the blonde was hoping that it was one of her new friends, Callie in particular, coming by to pay a visit. Nope, couldn't be that lucky. Instead, she was greeted by none other than the infamous Miranda Bailey. "Great." Arizona mumbled to herself.

Miranda Bailey was one of Sandy Point's richest and cockiest residents. She thought that with her last name in tow she could get anyone to do anything for her. She had a lot of money and at least once, everyday, she let someone know that.

"Hello, Ms. Bailey. How are we doing this afternoon?" Arizona asked, wiping the sweat from her face and placing her box cutter in her back pocket.

"Well, I would be delighted if my boat was in the water. Can you tell me why the hell it is still sitting out back on that, that, thing?"

"The railway?

"Yes."

"Well Ms. Bai-" Arizona was cut off.

'Don't Ms. Bailey me! We have been paying customers here far longer than you have been employed. When I come in here and say I need my boat to be ready by the 12th, that means, and I expect, to have it done by the 12th! We have money and we have the biggest boat here. Shouldn't that say _something_?"

"Ms. Bailey, please calm down."

"I will not calm down, missy. Ben and I are going on a trip with the yacht club tomorrow and we're expecting to take that boat out there - not the dinghy on top of it!" Miranda went on and on, until finally Arizona had had enough.

"Look!" Arizona said. "You tell me last week that you need us to pull your boat up on the railway. Good, we do that. Then you tell us that you need the gaskets on the engine replaced, that you need us to put in three bathrooms, which by the way, really sucked and you wanted the teak work on your _entire_ boat refinished. Then, _this_ week, you ask us to paint your boat. You have a 92-foot Elco! It's wooden boat. Not a fiberglass boat, but a wooden boat! Do you know how long it takes to sand, primer _and_ paint a 92-foot boat made out of wood!"

"Well, no."

"Well, it takes a long damn time, that's how long - about three days to be exact. Now, you told us on Monday that you wanted all of this done. We started first thing on Tuesday. Today is Thursday and if you go check out there you will see that the painting is done."

"Then why isn't it in the water!" Miranda asked.

"Because it takes twelve hours, at least, for that paint to dry!" Arizona snipped.

"Oh."

"We'll have your boat in the water by the time you guys need to leave in the morning."

Feeling quite defeated, Miranda Bailey turned around and walked out the door. Frustrated, Arizona turned around to finish her order.

"Everyone around here give you a hard time like that?" A voice said came from behind the blonde. It was Callie - and that smile.

"Uhh, not all of them." Arizona said with a laugh.

"Well, I'm one of the good guys. I was just dropping by to give you Cristina and Owen's slip agreement, along with mine and Steph's."

"Well, thanks. How long are you guys staying?""I dunno, depends on how much we like it." Callie said with a wink.

_Did she just wink at me?_, Arizona thought. _Did she? Or does she had some eye condition? Maybe she's just a winker. She winked at me! Wait, she's cute and she winked at me! Chill out Robbins, seriously. Okay, chilled. Return to conversation now._

"Uhh, and Cristina and Owen?"

"Well, they were just going to stay overnight, but we've talked them into hanging out a few days with us."

"Very cool," Arizona said. "So I guess I'll be seeing a lot of you guys."

"I hope." Callie replied, walking toward the door.

"Wait." Arizona said, going to her desk drawer. "Here," the blonde handed Callie a walkie talkie. "They work anywhere at the marina. We...well, me and the guys...stay on channel 9. If you need anything or get bored, call me. I like hanging out with the guys, but it's be nice to have a girl to hang with every once in a while."

"The guys?" Callie asked.

"Yeah - James, George, and Mark. They work in the boatyard out there." Arizona pointed with a pencil. "They're awesome."

"Ahh, I think I met your brother last night. He helped us tie in - very cool guy."

"Yes he is. I love him to death." Arizona added.

"_Messin' About_ to Sandy Point Marina, over." The VHF radio was going off behind the blonde.

"Hang on one sec, just need to get this." Arizona said.

"Yes, this is Sandy Point to _Messin' About_, over."

Arizona turned to Callie. "I may have to help them tie in. Take the walkie talkie and call me later, okay?"

"Can I hear you when you talk on that thing there?" the Latina said, pointing to the VHF.

"Yes, on channel 12."

"Okay, talk to you later," Callie said, turning around to leave. "Wait!, what's your handle?

"Huh?"

"Your handle. You know, your name on this thing?" the brunette asked.

"Umm, Sandy Point Marina?" the blonde giggled.

"Oh, well I'll pick one out for you." Callie said with a smile. And with that, she was out the door.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I just want to thank every so much for the alerts, favorites, and reviews. I am very happy that you guys are enjoying the story. To the reviewer that didn't care for Arizona's brother's name - I am sorry hon. :( I wrote this story well before we knew her brother's name. I would change it, but this story is so long and in-depth, I feel like I would make a mistake somewhere in the story and I just didn't want to confuse people. :(**

**Anyway, if you have any requests or questions, please feel free to drop me a line. Thanks and enjoy! :P**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

The next couple of days passed by quickly. Arizona had seen Callie and her new friends occasionally, but the week had been incredibly busy so she hadn't gotten much of a chance to talk with them. As the work day on Friday was coming to an end, Arizona and the guys were beginning to plan their weekend.

"So, what are we doing tonight guys?" Arizona asked.

"Let's check the crab pots, maybe we caught enough to cook some?" George suggested.

Mark sat down with a beer. "I already checked, only two."

"Hey guys, let's take the boat out. It's nice tonight - maybe a good night for a swim?" Arizona suggested.

All four of them jumped up. Evenings spent on the water was always a favorite among the group. The foursome made their way to the dock. Arizona carried the towels, George the radio, and Mark and James tugged the cooler of beer behind them. "We'll take my boat," James said. "I just gassed up earlier in the week."

James's boat was a 42' power-sailboat that he and his grandfather had built about ten years ago. It was the perfect party boat with lots of deck, many rooms and a swim platform. It was called _Pathfinder_. This boat had seen many sunsets and lots of fun on the river.

Arizona, George, and James got onboard. Mark stayed on the dock to untie them and George turned on the radio. "Dude, I love this tune." he said, bobbing his head to the music.

"Uh, ahem, Chica Girl to Dimples, over?" Arizona's walkie talkie beeped. She grabbed it with a little confusion. The only people that used walkie talkies at the marina on this channel were on the boat. _Callie,_ she thought. She had given the blonde a walkie talkie earlier in the week. Was this Callie that was calling? It had to be. Dimples? _That's her handle for me?_Arizona smiled.

"This is Dimples, over?" The blonde said into the mic. The guys looked on with curiosity. Who was this girl Arizona was talking to?

"This is Callie. How are ya? Over."

"Good, the guys and I are getting ready to go out for a boat ride. What are you up to? Go to channel 16, we can talk normal on there. Over." The blonde waited a couple of seconds.

"I'm alone and bored as hell, haha. Cristina, Owen, and Steph took a ride to the bay with, uh, Derek and Addison I think it is?"

"How come you didn't go?" Arizona asked.

"I was sleeping when they left, so I'm kinda just peddling around wasting time until they get back."

Arizona thought for a second, then went up top where her brother was. Hey, we have room for one more, right?" she asked.

"Uh huh." he said as he checked over the engine room, not paying attention to what Arizona was saying in the slightest.

"Hey Callie?" Arizona said with a smile.

"I'm here, over." The Latina giggled through the radio.

"Hey, do you wanna maybe come with us? We're about to leave, but we can wait a few if you'd like to come out."

The brunette thought about it for a moment. "Sure, I'd like that. What boat are you on?"

"_Pathfinder_, All the way at the other end of the dock."

"I know where that is, saw it the other day. Be there in two. Over and out."

"Hey guys, Callie is coming out with us. Please be nice, okay?" the blonde pleaded playfully.

"Ooooh, Arizona's got a girlie! Is she hot?" Mark asked.

"Please guys."

Callie ran down the dock looking for James's boat. She had seen it the other day, but she couldn't remember where. _It's not that freakin hard, Callie_, she thought to herself. Then she heard music. Okay, that must be them. Callie walked up to the boat and she and Arizona met eyes. There was a connection between the two and the guys definitely saw it in their exchange. James, Mark, and George all looked at one another and smiled.

**"There was a time when life caught me by surprise.  
But you sneak on by the shadow,  
you gotta live in front of your eyes  
And a typical way, we stray  
checking back with the past  
In a typical way, we stay, to see what's gonna last…" **

"Hey!" Callie said.

"Hey yourself, come on in." Arizona said, giving the Latina a hand onto the boat.

"Find your way okay?"

Callie threw her bag on the floor and looked around. "I did, thanks."

"Awesome." the blonde grabbed two beers from the cooler and handed one to Callie. "But we really need to work on your handle."

"We do?"

"Oh yeah," Arizona flashed Callie a smile and took a sip of beer. "We do."

**"I chose to live my life's affair  
I could have died, but I chose to live here instead**

**From this day on, I swear to you true**  
**I say now way back when**  
**you and all your friends**  
**had some good times, we should do this again**  
**We'd say, hey hey hey, we should do this again…"**

"Ready guys?" James asked. They all nodded and they were off, with the music blaring.

An hour later, Callie, Arizona, and the guys were anchored out in Mattox Creek, just off the river. This was their favorite place in Sandy Point and would soon be one of Callie's as well. James turned off the engine and stripped down to his swimming trunks.

"Alright, who's going swimming with me?" he asked.

"We're in!" George and Mark yelled as they jumped into the water from the top of the boat.

_Splash!_

James followed them by diving in. The guys looked up at the girls.

"Ya'll coming in or what?" Mark asked.

Arizona looked at Callie. "Of course!" she yelled down at the threesome.

"Wait, I didn't bring a suit with me." The brunette mumbled with a worried, yet disappointed look on her face.

"Ahh, who cares. Swim in your clothes!"

"But I'll look like a dork, Arizona."

"Yes you will. But, I'll tell you what - I'll forget about my suit and wear my clothes in so you won't look like a dork by yourself. Deal?"

"Deal." Callie agreed.

The girls jumped in to join the guy and they all swam around for about an hour or so. James would climb to the top of the boat, jump in, get out…and do it all over again. George and Mark hung out on the swim platform and drank a few beers. Callie smiled. Arizona and the others seemed so carefree about everything and she really liked this. Of all of her friends back home, not one of them were as laid back as the ones in front of her. She didn't know any of them very well, but she felt comfortable and she was having a great time.

Arizona splashed Callie. "Come on, I want to show you something." The blonde started swimming to shore and Callie followed. A few minutes later they were sitting at the boathouse, feet dangling in the water.

Callie looked around at her surroundings. "This place is pretty cool."

"Yes it is. This is the boathouse. I come here a lot to think. Sometimes, I bring a six pack of beer here, light some candles, and play my guitar at sunset. Things like that are good for the soul, ya know?"

The brunette smiled as she listened to the girl next to her. She knew all too well what Arizona was saying. As the blonde continued talking, Callie began to realize that she and her new friend were a lot alike. Many nights would be spent at the boathouse for the two girls, but neither of them could know that now.

"So," Arizona said. "How did you meet Stephan?"

"I met him through Owen and Cristina. Owen threw Cristina this huge party for her thirtieth birthday last summer. Steph flew in from Chicago to see them and...we met."

"Cool cool. So you guys haven't been dating that long?" Arizona inquired.

"No, he's a really sweet guy though - really good to me."

"Yes, he seems very nice."

"So, where's your other half, Miss Arizona?"

"Ha, there isn't one."

"What? Why the hell not? I mean, I haven't known you that long, but you seem so cool and so down to earth. Who wouldn't want to date you?"

"Well, this town is pretty small. I'm either related or best friends with everyone here."

"Well, being in love with your best friend isn't such a bad thing, right? Actually, it's sort of a bonus - don't you think?"

Arizona thought about that. "Yes, I suppose. But my best friends here are all taken." the blonde said with a giggle, trying to dodge telling Callie she was a single because she was the only known lesbian in town.

"…Besides…" Arizona added. "I've never really met anyone right for me. You know, someone that appreciates the same things I do. I love the small things - the sky, the water…sunsets. I love living everyday like it's my last. I guess I'm kinda unconventional for most people."

Callie smiled and looked at Arizona. "Yeah, I know what you mean."

The guys offshore watched the friendly banter between the two girls. "What do ya think, James?"

"I dunno, Mark, but I like her." he said with a shrug.

"Alright, so what's the secret behind the name of your boat?" Arizona asked.

Callie smiled and nodded to herself. "Okay, so 'esses for my fingers' is just this thing I've always had. Five reasons, one for each finger, why your life should be loved no matter how it's thrown at you."

Arizona listened closely as Callie talked.

"Kinda dorky, I know, but anyway, all of these reasons start with an 's' and they are things that I have experienced that I love. That kinda thing."

"That's so cool, and really sweet." Arizona said. "But why does Steph only know four of them, and not all five?"

"Two reasons. One, he doesn't get it - not just the fifth, but he doesn't get any of them. He doesn't see life they way I do. And two, because I haven't even experienced the fifth one yet."

Arizona listened on, but she was a little confused. "Then why don't you just make it four? You know, technically, you only have four fingers anyway."

"Yeah, but you can't do anything without your thumb. You can't write or play the guitar." Callie pointed at Arizona. "You can't throw a ball. Hell, you can't even tie your shoes. You're nothing without your fifth 's'." the brunette smiled, poking Arizona's shoulder.

The blonde smiled back. "I guess that's true," she said, looking off into the river.

"Hey guys, come on back!" James called from the boat, interrupting the comfortable silence that Callie and Arizona had fallen into. "The tide's going out, we're going to try to go under the bridge for the sunset!"

There was a part of Mattox Creek you could get to only if the tide went low enough to get your boat through. Not many people went back there so it was always very quiet.

After getting back to the boat and going under the bridge, Callie and Arizona went to the bow of the boat to watch the sunset. Trees and their reflections onto the water were on both sides of their view, with the sun setting right in the middle. The sky was that purplish-orange that always came with a sunset. The reflection of the sun's color off the water lit up Arizona's face with that glow you only see when the sun is on the horizon - just enough to light up every feature on her skin.

Callie secretly studied Arizona through her sunglasses, pretending to gaze at the other surroundings amongst them. She didn't know why the blonde intrigued her so much or why she had been staring at her that past five minutes. It was odd and unfamiliar, but it felt okay.

"Hey guys, check this out." George said. "I got some tunes for the ladies up front."

"Yeah yeah yeah, hook Ari up!" Mark whispered, taking a swig of his beer.

"I think Callie has a boyfriend, guys." James said softly.

"That don't mean a thing. I just met this girl Callie, and I can tell you right now, she's gonna have it bad for Robbins." Mark offered confidently, turning the radio up.

Up front, on the bow, Arizona and Callie heard the music.  
**  
"Crazy, how it feels tonight.  
Crazy, how you make it alright, love  
Crush me with the things you do  
And I'll do for you anything  
Sitting, smoking, feeling high  
And in this moment  
oh it feels so right..."**

"Sights." Callie said, out of the blue.

"Huh?"

"Sights. That's the first S."

"What do you mean?" Arizona asked.

"Well this, for example. Look at this. The sunset, the beauty. Seeing things like this reminds me that life is good."

"Ahh, Calliope, do you realize you are letting me in on your profound secrets behind the name of your boat?"

"Yes," the brunette, giggled. "But that's only one of them. There are still four to go."

**"Let's go drive 'til  
morning comes  
Watch the sunrise  
and fill our souls up  
Drink some wine 'til  
we get drunk...**

**Yeah it's crazy I'm thinking**  
**just knowing the world is round**  
**I'm here, I'm dancing all around**  
**Am I right side up or upside down**  
**And is this real or am I dreaming..."**

Callie and Arizona watched the sun set into the sky, listening to the music the guys had been playing.

"So, Dimples," Callie said, catching the blonde off-guard. "I can call you that, right?"

Arizona blushed in the moonlight. _Thank God she cannot she my face right now, _she thought. "Yes." She sat back in her chair and threw Callie a beer. "And 'Chica Girl' won't work for you." She giggled.

"No?"

The blonde played with the beer bottle that sat in her hands. "No." She cocked her head a little to the side as she studied Callie. "I think 'Pretty Eyes' would suit you much better."

Callie, Arizona, and the guys sat around the boat, had a few beers and bullshitted most of the night. Callie was having a blast with her new friends.

James's boat was pretty sweet, the brunette thought as she looked around. It was a power sailboat, but the masts were off. The main cabin was raised up and there were white, square-ish, Chinese box lights hanging around the outside. Inside, there was a little tiki bar, stereo, and lots of pillows. No chairs. No couches. Not even a bench - but lots of pillows.  
**  
"I don't mind you coming here  
wasting all my time  
Cause when you're standing oh so near  
I kinda lose my mind, yeah..."  
**  
Eveyone started singing. "Turn it up, turn it up!" George yelled to James from the deck.  
**  
"It's not the perfume that you wear  
It's not the ribbons in your hair  
I don't mind you coming here  
and taking all my time..." **

The guys belted out while pointing to the girls.

"Well, if this song isn't true, I don't know what is." Arizona whispered to herself as she was paying attention to the words. As if Callie had been thinking the same thing, she stole a quick peek of Arizona, smiled, and stared into the water, joining the blonde off in 'space.'

**"It doesn't matter where you've been,  
as long as it was deep, yeah..."**

Arizona looked at Callie with a smile. "Do you want a beer?"  
**  
"I guess you're just what I needed..."  
**  
The five friends laughed and enjoyed the music. Before they knew it, it was after midnight. "Heya guys, I think we should be getting back. It's getting kinda late." James said.

"Yeah, I'm sure Steph's wondering where I am." Callie added.

George and Arizona brought up the anchor as James started the boat.

A few minutes later, James came up from the stern. "Hey guys," he said curiously. "What time is it exactly?"

Callie looked at her watch. "Uh, it's about 12:30."

James looked down, laughed, and shook his head. "Well, I need a beer." he said, turning the engine off.

"What's going on, James?" Mark asked. "Did we break down?"

"No no. The boat's fine." James laughed. "Guess what us idiots did?"

The other four kinda just stood there. James took a sip of his beer. "Alright, from the bootstripe, how many feet high do you think this boat is?"

"About five or six," Mark offered. "Why?"

"Five or six. Okay." James shined the spotlight onto the water, just off the bow. "So, a boat five feet high probably can't clear that bridge, huh?"

Everyone burst into laughter, realizing that they had stayed on the creek side of the bridge a bit too long. The tide had come in so high that there was now no way to get the boat back under the bridge.

"Yeah," James started. "So unless we can jump that bridge - which we can't - we're screwed.

There was no way out of that creek other than going under the bridge. Low tide was in about six hours. _More time with my new friends,_Callie thought.

"Well," Mark said, turning off the spotlight, "I hope we brought enough beer cause it looks like we're staying the night."

* * *

They decided to make a night of it. It was late, but no one was really tired enough to sleep. The guys stripped down to their boxers and t-shirts to get comfy.

"I think I have some extra clothes on here that you can sleep in." Arizona said to Callie. The blonde went down into the cabin in search for sleeping attire for the both of them. A few minutes later, she came back up, dressed in boxers and a black tank top with clothes for Callie.

"Here. You can wear these." Arizona said. "I think they should fit."

"Thanks." the brunette replied with a smile. "Hey, are you always this prepared?" she asked.

"No. Well, yeah - for things like this anyway. We anchor out overnight a lot, so I always keep lots of spare clothes in case we moor out unexpectedly. This actually isn't the first time this has happened."

Callie changed and joined the group on the back of the deck. Mark and George had brought up some beach chairs from the cabin and set them up in a circle on the stern. Arizona lit some citronella candles and put them in the middle of the chairs and on the hand rails, while James played DJ with the radio.

The group sat around the candlelight and talked. Callie took in the night with her new friends. She sat next to Arizona. James was on his sister's other side, then Mark, then George.

"So, Callie. Where are you from?" James asked.

"Originally from Phoenix, which is actually kinda funny, "She looked at the blonde next to her before continuing. "but I've lived in Chicago for the past year with Steph."

"Cool cool. So how are you liking Sandy Point so far?" Mark asked.

"I love it! I'm not sure Steph likes it as much as I do - he's a city boy."

"What? How could he not like all of this?" George said, pointing to nothing in particular with his hands.

It was true. In the short time Callie had been there, she was slowly, but surely, falling in love with Sandy Point. The way people there just took in life and enjoyed it was beyond amazing to her. It was something she could get used to. She knew eventually she was going to have to leave, but she knew even more that she wanted to stay. She thought back to a night just days ago.

_"I thought this was only supposed to be a weekend thing, Callie." Steph said._

"_I know, I know. But the people here are so nice…and friendly. I'm having fun here, aren't you?"_

_Steph thought about it for a minute. He __**was**__ having fun and the people here __**were**__ nice._

"_We have the entire summer, Steph. What's another week?"_

"_You're right. You're happy here, so I'm happy too. What's another week or two?"_

Or three or four.

Checking the time, the guys finally decided to call it a night. "Where's everyone sleeping?" Mark asked.

James's boat had both forward and aft cabins. The forward cabin slept two, with a single bed on each side. The aft cabin was much larger, having a double bunk on the left and a head on the right.

"It's nice out tonight." James looked around. "I think I am going to sleep on the bow. You and George can take the small cabin and the girls can have the bigger one."

"Sounds like a plan." Arizona said. "That okay with you, Calliope?"

"Sure! I can sleep anywhere." The brunette replied.

The girls said goodnight to the guys and stayed out on the bow of the boat. They talked.

And talked.

And talked some more.

The candles were still lit and there was a soft breeze in the air. While the girls had been getting to know each other, they had made themselves a little more comfortable, leaning back in their chairs with their feet propped up on each other's arm rests.

"Favorite movie?" Arizona asked.

"Cabaret. You?"

"What Dreams May Come. Favorite color?"

"Red. First Kiss?

"Mark. We were five."

Callie laughed. "Okay, Losing a love or never loving at all?"

"Losing. Summer or Winter?"

"Summer. Spring or Fall?

"Fall. Rather own a boat or a car?"

"Ha! Boat, definitely."

"Me too."

The mix CD that Mark had put in earlier started again for the third time.

**"We have fallen down again tonight,  
In this world it's hard to get it right  
Trying to make your heart fit like a glove,  
What you need is love, love, love**

**Everybody, everybody wants to love,  
Everybody, everybody wants to be loved  
Oh oh oh, oh oh oh..."**

"Favorite moment?" Arizona asked.

**"Happy is the heart that still feels pain,  
Darkness drains and light will come again.  
Swing open up your chest and let it in,  
Just let the love, love, love begin..."**

"This one's climbing."

* * *

Song credits: 'Here's to Ya' - O.A.R.; Crush - Dave Matthews Band; Just What I Needed - The Cars


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Strong suggestion if you are diggin the fic and don't know the songs I'm using, I would strongly suggest to listen along with the lyrics posted. I write with a lot of music the songs I use really set the scene for me when writing. Do it if you can. :)**

**Also, to the reviewer/reviewers that commented on me never finishing stories - I've only been on ff since the first of the year. I don't like it when my favorite fics go weeks without being updated, but I do finish all of my things. Please keep in mind, though you may not know this, that I am a wife and a mom with a full-time job. I'm in my thirties and I garden and play music in my spare time. I fit a lot into my days and writing is one of them. I'm just not able to do it every day and I am sorry for that. :(**

**Anyhow, thanks to everyone for all of the reviews. I really wish I could respond to everyone individually and maybe I can at some point, but right now, busy is the word. Hope you guys like this chapter. :)**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

James was the first to wake in the morning, even though he had the most to drink the night before. Arizona's brother slept later than anyone in the group except, for some reason, when he was on a boat. He woke up Mark and George and the three of them made their way back down to the aft cabin to wake the girls.

When they got down there, James checked Callie's watch that was on her wrist hanging from the bed. 6:30. "Shit. We gotta get going. I told Dr. Avery I'd look at his oil pan for him."

James's voice stirred the brunette out of her sleep. "Hey guys, good morning." She said with a yawn.

"Mornin' to you too." Mark said. "Sleep well?"

"Once I could _**get **_to sleep, yes. Arizona, well - she snores pretty loud," she said, looking over to the blonde with a smirk. The girls had shared the bottom bunk last night.

_Arizona heard drops of rain hit the hatch above her bunk. She and Callie had moved down to the cabin after talking, deciding they both needed some rest._

"_Uh, isn't your brother sleeping outside?" Callie asked._

"_Yea-" _

_Before the blonde could finish her answer, a dripping James came into the cabin._

_"I guess tonight's not a good night for sleeping outside. I didn't want to wake the guys and I heard you two talking, so I figured I'd come camp out in here if that's okay." he said, grabbing a pillow and blanket from the closet. I'll just sleep on the floor."_

"_What, James? No way. You can take the top bed and Arizona and I can bunk together." Callie looked at the blonde. "That's okay with you, right?"_

_Arizona became a bit uneasy, but her body lit on fire at the thought of it. "Umm...sure."_

"Okay." James said looking at the trio. "Who's waking up sleeping beauty this morning?" He knew his sister's morning antics and how she _**hated**_ getting up in the morning.

"Arizona, wake up." Callie said, nudging her side.

"Get up, Robbins." Mark added.

And George, "Wakey, wakey, Arizona."

The guys and Callie did this for about ten minutes. The blonde would stir stirred, and mumble, but she wouldn't wake up. Finally, rolling his eyes, her brother grabbed a bullhorn and a glass of water.

"Callie, take this." James said, handing her the glass of water. "I'm gonna turn this siren on. When I do, throw that water on her face."

"What? No, I'm not doing that." the Latina replied.

"Throw the water on her face." Mark added.

"I can't do that, she'll get mad at me!"

"It's the only way she wakes up. Trust us."

James turned the siren on and Callie, very hesitantly, threw the water on the blonde. She ran and hid behind James, expecting things to fly at her as Arizona sat up.

"Ya know, you guys really didn't need to use the horn. The water would have been sufficient on it's own." She mumbled, rubbing her tired, and now wet, eyes.

They left just as low tide hit. They were back at the marina about an hour later. As they pulled in, the VHF radio on the boat went off.

"This is _Naughty Gal_ calling Sandy Point Marina, over." Arizona set down her coffee and picked up the handset.

"Sandy Point Marina to _Naughty Gal_. Go to channel 12, please."

"Heya Arizona! This is Cristina. You're in the office early this morning. Over."

"Well, we're just pulling into the marina. We got stuck over in the creek last night, so we're just getting back in."

"Ha! Us too. Well, we need a tow. Derek caught his prop on a line last night, so we had to make a night of it out here as well."

"I think we can help you guys. We'll be there shortly." James said from his own walkie talkie. "You're in the channel, right?"

"Yep. Hey, Callie isn't with you guys by any chance is she? We have Steph with us."

"No worries, Cris - we got her. She's in good hands." Arizona said, looking at the brunette.

"Good. See you in a few. Over and out."

The rest of the weekend was pretty relaxing for everyone. James and Arizona had a cookout for everyone on Saturday, but this was the norm. Every Saturday, after work, the siblings bought hamburgers and corn and grilled out on the very end of the dock. Since there were covered slips, the weekly cookout always took place, rain or shine.

* * *

The weeks that followed for them were spent getting to know their new friends a little better. Owen and Cristina had decided to screw their trip to Cape Cod and spend their summer vacation in Sandy Point. Arizona had introduced them, as well as Callie and Steph, to other slip holders at the marina. The newcomers met Alex and Izzie, Richard Webber and his wife Adele. They were introduced to pretty much everyone who had a boat there. And Virginia. Oh man, did Callie love her.

Arizona was beginning to get to know Stephan a little better as well. He was quirky, funny and sometimes awkward. But he was also tall, brunette, handsome and very good to Callie. It did seem to the blonde, however, that the couple were more like friends to each other than _together_. When the two of them were with each other, she saw respect rather than passion. Instead of stolen glances, she saw half-hearted smiles. In any case, they seemed happy…and they _were _happy.

Steph and Derek had hit it off as well, spending lots of their days fishing and crabbing. Addison and Cristina quickly became good friends as did Owen and Mark. The group as a whole was pretty much inseparable. If you saw one of them, you usually saw all of them.

The two people, however, that seemed to becoming the closest were Callie and Arizona. They had quickly developed a very close friendship with one another. The Latina still spent time with Steph and Arizona still hung out with the guys, but a lot of their free time was spent with each other. Callie would bring the blonde coffee and keep her company when she was working in the office and Arizona would always cook extra on the grill and take a plate to Callie for lunch. They talked on the walkie talkies a lot, using the code names they had issued for each other.

What was it about Arizona that intrigued Callie so much? She didn't know, but sometimes Arizona would look into her eyes a certain way and Callie would become lost. She'd fade out, forgetting anything and everything around her. She loved everything about Arizona - her way of life, her eyes, her smile. She loved how she would go out of her way to make an unhappy person smile. She loved her talents and how she played the guitar. She loved her passion for the water and for life. Callie was beginning to love Arizona's soul. Without a doubt, the blonde was the most amazing person the she had ever met.

But what caught Callie by surprise was something that happened a few nights ago, in a game of truth or dare at the end of the dock. It was then that she realized she was attracted to Arizona. Callie thought back to that night…

The daily cookout had settled into night. _**Everyone **_had been out on the gas dock. This was the part of the dock that was uncovered, right after the Dirty Dozen. The main 300 slips of the Pine Valley Marina were in a straight line, with 150 on each side, all covered. At the very end, after the Dirty Dozen, there's a gas dock with a little marine store. Boaters that gassed up their boats could by food, cigarettes and such here. The gas dock is a very long dock as well, so the whole structure is T-shaped with other smaller extensions here and there. Anyway, this is where they were - Cristina, Owen, Steph, Derek, Addison, Mark, George, James, Arizona, and Callie. Even Richard and his wife were there, among a few other regulars that had just gotten into town for the season.

_"Truth or Dare?" James asked Richard._

"_Ahhh, dare I guess." he replied, scrunching his face, knowing he'd made a mistake. James was going to have fun with this one._

"_Take off your clothes and jump off the dock."_

_Richard thought about it. He had no choice but to go through with it. "This okay with you?" he asked, turning to Adele._

_She laughed, replying, "Have fun, Richard. Besides," she crossed her arms. "I want to see this too."_

_After a few moments of hesitation and much coaxing from the others, Richard fulfilled his dare._

_After the roaring of laughter plateaued, the game commenced. A dripping Richard, wrapped in a towel, turned to Derek. "Truth or dare, buddy?"_

"_After that one, I think I'll take truth."_

"_Okay, have you ever cheated on Addison?"_

_Derek flashed Richard a 'you-son-of-a-bitch' look, remembering a brief affair with a transient named Meredith. "No," he replied through his teeth._

And of course drinking was involved that night, so things were quickly put out in the open for everyone to know. That was the game, though.

_George had made Steph give Richard a lap dance and Mark's hidden fear of granddaddy long legs was revealed. Cristina did at shirtless cha-cha with a broom, Callie made an embarrassed Owen do a 'Richard' in the water, and Adele had Addison shotgun three beers. James drank along side her, of course._

_"Okay, Mark. Truth or Dare." George asked._

_"Truth."_

_"You have a crush on Ari, don't you?"_

_"No, what? Crush? No - Robbins is like a sister to me!" He was beet red in the cheeks. "No, uh uh."_

_"That's okay, bro! You're not her type anyway!" James yelled as he peed off the end of the dock. "You don't have booobiieees!" he added._

_That got Callie's attention. She shot up from her tipsy slump, looking at Arizona, who was walking towards Mark._

_"It's okay, Sloane…I still love you." the blonde said jokingly._

_Was Arizona a lesbian? In the weeks she had known her friend, the blonde had never mentioned it. What did James mean? Arizona likes boobies? And so, girls have boobies, Callie thought. So…that would make her a lesbian. Or maybe it was just some inside marina joke? Huh._

_Callie's mind was going a lot faster than she could comprehend. "Why am I thinking about this so much?" she asked herself._

_And under the moonlight, the game went on as the brunette stole glances from Arizona. And then, out of the blue, in midst of the chaotic fun, Arizona looked Callie's way, flashing a soft smile as she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. The blonde mouthed with her lips "Having fun?"_

_A smile quickly found Callie's dazed face as she nodded yes with a smile. At that moment, a moment that would stay in Callie's mind forever, she realized she was, indeed, attracted to Arizona Robbins._

_The Latina smiled as she thought back to that night. Am I attracted to her because I know she's gay and it's, like, taboo to me? Or is it just because she is so damn awesome? she thought to herself. Callie shook her head with a shrug and started walking down the dock._

"Ahem, Dimples to Pretty Eyes. Over." Her walkie talkie beeped.

Callie grabbed the radio. It was Arizona. "Pretty Eyes here, over." she said with a giggle.

"Good morning! Go to channel 16. Over."

"Morning to you too!" Callie joined Arizona on the channel.

"Listen, I was thinking about taking my boat out tonight for a bit. Wanna join me?"

"That sounds awesome. Steph has a poker game with Derek, so he'll be tied up anyway."

"Oh, well I was going to see if he wanted to come too, but since he has plans, I guess we'll make it a girl's night out."

"Sounds like a plan." Callie said, twirling her hair in her fingers with a grin.

"Cool. I'll be down on my boat after I get off of work, around five or so. You can just meet me there."

"Okay, girlie, see you then."

"Dimples, over and out."

The day passed quickly for Arizona as she had orders to check in as well as a crapload of paperwork to finish from the week before. Lunch with the guys was in the norm, but the day on the water was busy as hell. People were pulling up for gas every ten minutes it seemed. The guys were working in the yard, so she took care of the customers in both the ship store and on the gas dock. She didn't mind, though - the tips were great. She probably made more in tips per week than she did on the books for every two.

On a trip back from the gas dock, the blonde ran into Addison and Cristina. "Hey guys." Arizona greeted.

"Oh, hey Ari!" Addison said. "Another gas customer?" she asked sympathetically, noticing the sweat-drenched blonde.

"Yep, busy day out there. Seems like everyone in Sandy Point is out on the water."

"Nice day, I guess." Cristina offered.

"Yes, it is. Listen, I am taking my boat out tonight for a bit. Callie's coming along. Would you guys like to join us?"

"We would, but I think Addison and I are going to the poker game with Steph and Derek." Cristina replied.

"Yeah! I have my lucky elephants and everything!" Addison added.

"Alright, well good luck on the game, girls. I'll see you two later." Arizona said, making her way down the dock.

When she returned to the office, she was greeted by Adele, who had been waiting to pay she and Richard's monthly slip rent. "Arizona!" Adele called as Arizona came through the door.

"Hey there Adele, nice to see you. What brings you by?"

"Paying slip rent to you guys. Busy out there?"

"You have no idea." the blonde replied. "I've been out there pretty much all day. Why aren't you guys out on the boat? The weather is so nice."

"Well, Richard and I are going out this evening. I think we're going across the river to Cobb Island for dinner. You seem like you've had a long day, would you like to join us?"

"Well, I'm actually taking my boat for a run tonight as well. James and Mark just finished up a lot of engine work on it, so I'm taking it out to see if they know what they're doing." Arizona said, laughing. "But I would love to join you guys for dinner. Callie is coming with me. Would it be alright if she came along?"

"Of course!" Adele said smiling, handing Arizona a check. "We will be on channel 9. Call us on there when you are getting close."

"Sounds like a plan. See you tonight."

"Alright." Adele replied, putting on her sunglasses. She turned around and made her way out the door.

"Dinner on Cobb Island with Callie. Just us, Richard, and Adele." Arizona said to herself with a smile as she filed the check under 'W.

Arizona clocked out, grabbed a dock cart from the office and went to her car. She grabbed a few miscellaneous things - guitar, blankets, cooler, slicker - stuff like that. She made a stop by the ice machine and picked up a block of ice and then went by the shop to say bye to the James and the others.

"Bye guys, keep your radios on in case I need you." Arizona yelled from the door.

"We will, but I'm sure you won't need it. You're a better captain than Me!" James said.

"Yeah, besides, you'll have Callie with you." Mark teased.

Arizona rolled her eyes. "Whatever guys, it's just a boat ride. Anyway, I gotta get going. See you guys later tonight."

Callie gave Steph a kiss on the cheek. "Good luck tonight. Win us some money!" the Latina said to her boyfriend, as he hopped in Derek's boat with Addison and Cristina.

"I'll see you later" He said, smiling at his girlfriend. "Have fun."

"You too." Callie responded, untying their bowline and throwing it on board.

The brunette went back to her boat and grabbed a sweater and a few other things, including a bag she had packed earlier for the ride tonight. She checked the readings on her boat and then made her way down the dock. "Shit," she said to herself. "I don't know what Arizona's boat looks like."

The Sandy Point Marina was pretty big. Aside from the gas dock and the main pier where the covered slips were, Callie didn't know her way around the rest of it. There was a D dock, and an E dock that she had never been on. Since she didn't see Arizona on the main pier or on the gas dock, she figured her boat was on one of these. Callie walked around the marina for a good ten minutes, a little lost.

Then she saw her. She watched the blonde from behind a piling for a few minutes. Arizona was pulling some things out of her dock box and loading the boat up with a few random necessities - flares, radio, etc. Arizona was scanning over a river map and some tides charts when Callie finally walked up.

"Nice boat you have here." she said, awing Arizona's sailboat. "We're sailing tonight?"

"Yep." the blonde rplied, putting her sunglasses on her head and squinting through the sun. "Know how to sail?"

"A little."

"The water's really calm and there's a nice wind out this evening, so we should be okay. This is my first time driving one of these things, so hopefully you can help me." Arizona said, smiling at Callie.

The brunette's face became worried.

"I'm just kidding!" Arizona said. "I've been sailing this boat since I was a little girl, Calliope. No worries, my friend, no worries."

Callie untied the lines and hopped on the boat as Arizona pushed them off into the bay. They let up the sails as they made their way into the channel. It was about 5:30. The ride to Cobb Island was about an hour and fourty-five minutes by boat, - well this boat anyway. Had they taken James's boat, they would have been there in a half an hour. The sun was still pretty bright. Callie stood beside Arizona, scanning over the river charts, occasionally looking up at the blonde, studying her beauty. Arizona didn't wear make up or fancy clothes. She had on a black tank top and a short pair of khaki shorts. _Very simple_, she thought, _but very…Arizona_. Her hair was down and every now and then, a few pieces would hit Callie's face. She could smell her hair. _Apples, _she thought with a smile.

The girls sailed for another hour, through the channel, and into a the southern part of Maryland.

"This is _Gail Winds_ calling _Night Moves_, over."

Arizona picked up the VHF. "_Night Moves_ to _Gail Winds_. Where are you guys?" Callie looked on, wondering who was on the other end.

"We're pulling around the southern side of the island. We were thinking of going to Pier 3 for dinner. Is that okay with you guys?"

Arizona looked at Callie. " Oh I forgot to ask you. Richard and Adele invited us to meet them for dinner tonight. You up for some steamed crabs and cheap beer?"

Callie wasn't expecting this. "Oh my god, yes!" She replied. Arizona smiled and answered the radio.

"Yes, that is perfect. We're about fifteen minutes away. See you then."

"Alright, _Gail Winds_ out."

"_Night Moves _out."

When the girls arrived at the island, they were greeting by Richard and Adele on the end of the dock. Callie threw them a line while Arizona finished docking the boat. Arizona grabbed her flip flops, as did Callie and they both hopped out of the boat.

"Hey guys." Arizona said, hugging Richard and then Adele.

"Hey Callie," they said, greeting the brunette.

"Hey, hey! We going skinny dipping again tonight?" she asked, looking at Richard. The foursome chuckled as they walked up the dock to the mainland.

"So," Richard started. "Did you guys want to eat in the main restaurant, or at the tiki bar outside?"

Pier 3 was a small place, just as most of the restaurants were on the island. There was a more formal restaurant as you went more inland, but off the pier, right on the water, was a small screened-in tiki bar. As Richard walked ahead, the girls looked at each other, then to Adele and mouthed, "Tiki bar?" Adele nodded an affirmative yes.

The group went in and got a table. They were placed right by the screens on the water. They conversed over crabs and a few beers. The Webbers got to know Callie a little better, asking where she was from, what she did for a living and such.

"So you're a doctor?" Adele asked.

"I am. On vacation now. I have my own practice in Chicago. We have a PA working in the office that is holding the fort down."

"Where did you go to school?" Arizona inquired, dipping some back fin in a bowl of vinegar.

"Undergrad in Florida and then med school in Boston."

"That's pretty awsome." Richard said. "There are lots of people in Sandy Point that you could see to, I am sure. You know, just in case you ever decided to stay." Everyone laughed and talked on.

Arizona taught Callie the _correct _way to pick crabs. Richard ordered a plate of raw oysters, grossing the girls out when he swallowed them whole. Before long, the sun was beginning to set. There was a small band on the other side of the bar, playing cheesy Jimmy Buffet songs. Callie looked out onto the water and the sky, and then to Arizona and then back down to the crab she was trying to pick. She smiled.

Eating crabs and beer isn't what most people would call romantic. But this _**was**_ romantic to Callie for some reason. The music, the sunset on the water, and Arizona…it was perfect for her. Wait. _Romantic? Arizona? In the same sentence? _Callie's inner thoughts were interrupted by the others singing.

"Wasted away again in Margaritaville…" Arizona, Richard, and Adele belted.  
"Searching for my lost shaker of salt..."

"Some people claim that there's a woman to blame…" Looking at Arizona, Callie joined in towards the end singing about as well as she could dance. "But I know, it's my own damn fault..."

The group finished up dinner, paid, and made their way to their boats. "Thanks so much for dinner, Richard." Arizona said.

"Yes, I had an awesome time." Callie added.

"Oh, we did too. We have to do this again soon."

"Definitely." The girls said in unison before saying their goodbyes to the couple.

Callie and Arizona left Cobb Island and made their way up the river with the last of the sunset behind them. "Where to now?" Callie asked.

"Well, if you're up for it, I thought we'd go over to Mattox Creek again. I haven't been there since we were out with the guys last."

"Are we gonna get stuck under that bridge again?" Callie said, laughing.

"No, I checked the tide charts. We have until two in the morning to get out of there. Whenever you need to get going, just let me know."

"I have no where to be," the brunette replied with a smile, looking out in the water.

* * *

Arizona docked at the boathouse in Mattox creek. "Remember this place?" she asked the brunette.

"Yes, it's the boathouse - your favorite place in Sandy Point." Callie replied matter-of-factly.  
Arizona smiled. "Yes it is."

Arizona unloaded a few small things from the boat, as did Callie. "Hey, can you grab a blanket from the cabin?"

"Sure thing." As the brunette was getting the blanket, she noticed Arizona's guitar lying on the bed. She smiled as she grabbed that as well. She returned to join the blonde.

"I brought this too." she said, handing the guitar to Arizona. " I remember you saying that you like to play this when you come out here. So, could you maybe play something for me?" she asked as Arizona layed the blanket down on the dock for them to sit on.

"I suppose so," she said shyly, taking the guitar from Callie. "I haven't played in awhile, though." The boathouse didn't have any lights on the dock, so Arizona lit a few candles and placed them between her and the brunette. "Okay, what do you want to hear?" she asked.

"Anything." Callie said with a toothy grin.

Arizona picked around a bit to warm her fingers up. Callie smiled again.

**"Just before our love got lost you said  
I am as constant as a northern star and I said  
constantly in the darkness, where's that at  
If you want me I'll be in the bar..."**

Arizona played and sang as Callie watched in awe.

**"I remember that time you told me  
you said love is touching souls  
Surely you touched mine 'cause  
part of you pours out of me  
in these lines from time to time**

**Oh, you're in my blood like holy wine**  
**and you taste so bitter and you taste so sweet**  
**Oh, I could drink a case of you darling**  
**Still I'd be on my feet**  
**I would still be on my feet…"**

Arizona finished and then looked at the girl beside her. "Well?" she asked.

"Arizona, that was amazing. I guess I wasn't expecting, I dunno - you're good! You've been playing a while, huh?"

"About ten years. My dad taught me."

There was an awkward silence as they both looked at each other. Candlelight was the only thing Callie had to see Arizona, but it was enough for her to know the blonde was looking at her in a way no one else ever had. Deciding to break the silence, she spoke.

"Sounds."

"Your second S? Arizona replied after thinking about it.

"Like what you just did, Arizona - that kind of stuff blows me away. And the sound of the birds in the morning, the sound of water moving at night. I love laughter filling my ears and talking until the sun comes up. I'm a dork, huh?"

"Yes," the blonde replied. "But, there aren't enough dorks in the world." They both laughed.

"Callie?" Arizona said, looking out in the creek.

"Yeah?" the blonde replied, doing the same.

"I'm glad you came to Sandy Point."

Callie looked at Arizona and smiled with her eyes. "Me too."

"Hey do you know Blackbird?" Callie asked. "You know, by the Beatles?"

"I know what song you mean, silly. I _**love **_that song. I was one of the first I learned." the blonde said as she started picking. "My dad made me learn hard stuff first. Said it would make me a better player."

**"Black bird sitting in the dead of night..."**Arizona started singing, but was interrupted by Callie.

**"Take these broken dreams  
and learn to fly  
All your life  
you were only waiting  
for this moment to arise..."**

Arizona had a smile on her face and continued to play as the Latina sang.

**"Blackbird sitting in the dead of night  
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see  
all your life  
you were only waiting  
for this moment to be free…"**

"I didn't know you could sing, Callie. You sang awful at dinner tonight but well, you are - that was really good!"

The brunette smiled. "Thanks. I've always loved that song for some reason, so I have been singing it since I was a little girl. My dad was a huuuuge Beatles fan."

"Mine too! He thinks they are like the gods of music." Arizona replied. "Anyway, you have a really pretty voice."

"Hey! We should start a band!" Callie almost shouted.

"Well, Mark plays the drums." Arizona said, going along with her friend.

"Yeah! And I could sing - and you could too! And you can play the guitar and…"

"It's a good idea Callie, but we would need a bass player."

The brunette was excited. Arizona thought this was just too cute. "Yeah yeah yeah! Steph plays the bass. I mean, he's not as good as you, but he'll do for a, uh, dock band, right?"

"Sure." Arizona giggled.

"Okay then! We have a band!"

"And what will the name of our band be?" Arizona asked.

Callie thought for a minute. "Well geez - I haven't thought of that yet." She was all smiles. "I need some time for that one."

"Alright," the blonde said, chuckling, amused by Callie's excitement.

The girls made their way back to Sandy Point just after midnight. When they got back to the marina, they tied up and unloaded the boat. Callie turned to Arizona. "Thanks for tonight. I had a really good time."

"Me too. Thanks for coming with me. Hey, let me just finish putting this stuff away and I'll walk you to your boat."

The girls walked slowly through the E and D docks talking, learning more about each other. Arizona told Callie about her mom wanting to change her legal name to Sunshine Summer and how her dad collects ukuleles. Callie shared her thoughts on marriage, plans for children and other random thoughts.

They made their way down the main covered dock that was lit with white Christmas lights that Arizoa and James had strung last Christmas. All of the boat owners liked them so much, she had decided to leave them up.

_"Leave em' up, Ari." James said._

"_You think?"_

"_Yeah, they're kinda romantic, ya know?"_

Arizona was glad their walk was more of a stroll and even more glad that Callie's boat was the next to the last boat before the end of the dock. This gave them more time together. Anyway, they walked as they played the 'or' game.

"Cornflakes or Rice Crispies? Callie asked.

"Cornflakes."

"Ooh, me too! Rice Crispies get soggy too quick. Bath or shower?"

"Bath, then shower. Chocolate or vanilla?"

"Chocolate. Crabs with vinegar, or with butter?"

"Vinegar!" Callie replied. "Summer or winter?"

"_**This **_summer." Arizona looked over at Callie with a soft smile. "Sunrise or sunset?"

"Sunset I guess. I've never seen a sunrise."

"Rea-?"

Their conversation was interrupted by a very ecstatic Steph walking towards them, with Addison, Derek, Cristina, Owen, Izzy, and Alex in tow. "Callie! I won three-hundred bucks!" Steph said, hugging his girlfriend.

"That's great, babe." the Latina replied, kissing him on the cheek.

"Lemme guess, Avery got wasted again tonight?" Arizona inquired.

"Oh yeah, you could say that." Alex answered.

Harper Avery was notorious for throwing huge poker parties at his pier across the creek. He never came out ahead with any of his games, for he drank two-hundred dollar bottles of scotch like iced tea during the events. He'd bet a hundred dollars on a hand that would only win in a game of Old Maid.

"Well, I am going to head on to bed, guys." Arizona said. "It's getting late."

As Arizona said her hellos, goodbyes, and goodnights to everyone, Callie looked on. She remembered the first night out with the blonde on James's boat and how she looked under the moonlight. She thought of the truth or dare party at the end of the dock last week, when she realized Arizona was a lesbian - or assuming so anyway. She remembered how she felt at dinner tonight, being there with the blonde and how even though she had a boyfriend, Arizona was the only one she had wanted to share crabs and cheap beer with.

Callie looked at everyone, then at the dock below her feet, finally meeting eyes with the blonde in front of her. For some reason, she wanted to be close to her. Callie thought to herself. _It wouldn't be weird if I gave her a hug, would it? I mean, we're just friends and friends give each other hugs, right? So, if I hug her, that would be okay, right? Fuck it, Torres. _And she did, embracing Arizona in an unexpected hug, whispering "Night." in the blonde's ear.

"Night to you too." Arizona replied with a smile before the hug ended, wondering where it had come from. She began to make her way back down the dock. _I'll sleep on the boat tonight, kinda tired. _She thought to herself as she heard a familiar song coming from a boat somewhere in the marina.

**"I know she said it's alright  
but you can make it up next time  
I know she knows it's not right  
there ain't no use in lying..."**

Arizona walked and thought of Callie. In the weeks she had known her, they had been inseparable - but a very comfortable inseparable. She thought about the latina a lot and sometimes, out of the blue, she would find herself wondering what she was doing.

**"Maybe she thinks I know something  
maybe, maybe she thinks its fine  
Maybe she knows something I don't  
I'm so, I'm so tired of trying..."**

Back in the Dirty Dozen, the group chatted on about the night's poker game. Addison threw her lucky elephants in the water as she had apparently lost a lot of money. The winners had been Alex, Izzie, and Steph.

"Hey, you guys wanna continue this game a little further? We can use the poker room on the gas dock." Alex offered, holding up a deck of cards and a bottle of vodka. Everyone agreed.  
Callie stayed back.

"Are you coming, Cal?" Steph asked.

She looked at the opposite end of the dock where Arizona was walking and saw her turn toward her boat. _She's staying here tonight, _she thought.

**"It seems to me that maybe  
it pretty much always means no  
So don't tell me you might just let it go  
And often times we're lazy  
it seems to stand in my way  
cause no one, no not no one  
likes to be let down..." **

"You know, I'm not really up for a game of poker tonight," she said, looking back to Steph. "I think I am going to walk around on the beach for a bit and maybe go check on Arizona."

"Alright well be careful, okay?"

"I will," she said, kissing Steph on the cheek once again.

Arizona could still hear the music when she got to her boat. And she was still thinking of Callie.

**"I know she loves the sunrise  
No longer sees it with her sleeping eyes  
And I know that when she said she's gonna try  
Well it might not work because of other ties and  
I know she usually has some other ties  
And I wouldn't want to break 'em, nah, I wouldn't want to break 'em  
Maybe she'll help me to untie this but  
Until then well, I'm gonna have to lie too..."**

The blonde smiled as she thought back on tonight…because Callie had been there. Had James or any of the guys been with her, she would have had fun, no doubt, but she wouldn't have loved the moments as much.

**"It seems to me that maybe  
It pretty much always means no  
So don't tell me you might just let it go  
And often times we're lazy  
It seems to stand in my way  
Cause no one no not no one  
likes to be let down  
It seems to me that maybe  
it pretty much always means no  
So don't tell me you might just let it go…"**

Callie heard the music as she walked, and then ran, down the dock to Arizona's boat. _Okay, Torres. Why are you coming down here?_ She didn't know why, but that's what she liked about it. She arrived at Arizona's boat and stepped aboard. _She must be sleeping, _she thought. She went down into the cabin. The blonde was in bed, but quickly sat up. "What's wrong, Calliope? Is everything okay?" she asked.

"Yes, everything is okay, but I just…I just wanted to spend some more time with you," the brunette said, looking at Arizona. "If that's okay?"

Neither of them said anything, neither of them moved. Finally Arizona smiled and pulled back the covers, letting Callie know it was okay for her to stay. The brunette crawled into bed next to her friend. She smiled and placed a kiss on Arizona's forehead before rolling over.

"Goodnight." Arizona said as she spooned her friend from behind.

* * *

**Song credits - 'A Case of ou' by Joni Mitchell, 'Flake' by Jack Johnson and 'Blackbird' by the Beatles**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thank you again for all of the wonderful reviews, I really appreciate it. ;)**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Callie and Arizona had many nights like that over the next few weeks. Steph missed spending the time with his girlfriend that he had been used to, but he had made many friends at the marina since they had arrived. He and Derek became regulars at Harper's Friday night poker game, and during the week he had gotten a job working with the guys in the yard painting boats and such. And after hours, he and Mark hung out a lot. Mark took him to the bars in town and Steph tried to teach the other how to play golf. It was a fine bromance.

Surprisingly, he wasn't jealous that Callie and Arizona had been hanging out so much. Instead, he took it as an opportunity to make new friends with others at the marina. But the girls still hung out with the group a lot. The alone time they spent was usually when others weren't around or after people had settled in for the night. Steph did find this odd, but then again, he had been doing other things with his time too. _Girl time, _he thought, thinking of his girlfriend and Arizona's odd friendship.

_"Cal, why do you and Arizona hang out so much?" Steph asked._

_She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, I like her. We have fun."_

"_What do you mean? You, __**like**__ her like her? You know I've always told you I want you happy. I see you happy when you are with her."_

"_No." Callie thought with a smile, but quickly shook it off. "I mean, I don't know. We just have fun together. She's unlike anyone I've ever met." _

"_I understand, Callie. I have fun with these people too. But, eventually it is going to have to end." The brunette looked down, with her smile leaving her face._

"_Callie, I love the people here. Ya know, Derek and Addison, and the guys - they are to me what Arizona is to you. But I am not going to get too close to any of them, because I know we are going to have to leave."_

"_I know."_

Callie couldn't stand the thought of leaving Sandy Point. She hated thinking about what her life would be without these people in it. Without Arizona.

_"Let's not talk about this anymore tonight, Steph. We have the whole summer still! It's late and I just want to go to bed, alright?"_

_Steph was sad for his girlfriend. In the back of his mine, he knew how much she cared for Arizona and he already knew leaving Sandy Point was going to kill Callie._

"Alright, sweetie." Steph agreed, pulling his girlfriend into a hug.

* * *

It was a normal Saturday for Arizona - putting shipments away and doing inventory. She helped the guys in the yard in the afternoon. Lunch was brief for her, due to all of the angry boaters that wanted something painted, fixed or blocked. It had rained the week before and the guys had gotten behind on the outside work. But Arizona was the one who had to deal with the customers. She was the one who always got cursed and yelled at.

The Saturday wasn't as normal for Callie. She was outright bored. With Arizona so busy in the yard and in the office, she couldn't hang around and keep her company today. Owen and Cristina were on a trip with Harper and his wife and the rest of the Dirty Dozen group were fishing in the bay. She was sitting on the bow, facing the water as Steph sanded the teak beside her.

"Do you want to do something tonight?" she asked Steph.

"Sure! Derek, Addison, Mark and I were thinking about cooking out on the end of the dock and then maybe taking a boat ride."

"That sounds like fun. Could I come?" she asked.

Steph looked at his girlfriend. "Of course, Callie. Why would you ask that? Oh, and tell Arizona to come too if she'd like. It's always fun when she's around."

Callie smiled. "Yes it is."

She gave Steph a kiss and went to the boatyard to see Arizona.

"Hey!" Callie called to the Arizona, who was sanding a boat. The blonde didn't respond.

"Heeeeyyyyyyy!" she called again, thinking about how cute Arizona looked. She had on safety glasses, big leather gloves and a mask. Her hair was up, but falling down. _Too cute,_ Callie thought.

But still no answer.

The Latina stood behind her, moving left when she moved left and moving right when she moved right, not wanting to get in the way. Finally, from behind, Callie put her hands to cover Arizona's eyes. The blonde turned the sander off and turned around.

"Hey you!" Arizona said.

"Hey yourself. Whatcha doing?

"Dirty work, helping the guys out since they are behind. What are _**you**_ doing?

"Coming to see you."

Arizona took off her gloves and safety glasses, pushing back some hair that had fallen out. Callie's eyes grew wide. "Woah, Ari, you look weeeird!" Callie laughed.

The blonde's hair was white from the dust. Her face was white everywhere except where her glasses had been.

"Shut up! I'm allowed to look weird on the job, okay?"

Callie kept laughing. "Okay, okay. I won't keep you, but I came by to see if you wanted to go out on the boat tonight. Steph, Derek, Addison, and Mark are taking out _Naughty Gal_ later on. Oh, and we might cookout on the end of the dock."

"Yeah, Mark mentioned something about that to me. I'll definitely be there." Arizona smiled.

"Okay, good. Hey, when do you get off of work?" Callie asked.

"About four or so, but it's Saturday and I'm the boss, so...whenever." The blonde chuckled.  
"Alright, I'll see you then, yeah?"

"You bet." Arizona said, putting her safety glasses back on.

Meanwhile, Mark was at the corner mart on a beer run for James. "Hey there, Sloane." Finn said from behind the counter. "You guys starting early today, eh?"

"It's never too early for James, ya know?" Mark said with a laugh. "Hey, what time you getting off today?"

"Around four or so."

"Awesome. We're having a dock party tonight down at the marina. You should come, man. It'll be a blast!"

"Yeah. Thanks for the invite. I need some time away from this place anyway."

"Alright, we'll see you tonight then - around five?"

"I'll be there. Should I bring anything?"

"Beer."

Miranda and Ben had stopped by the marina to check on their boat. James saw them from a distance and decided to go say hello.

"Hello there." James said. The couple turned around.

"Hi Robbins!" Miranda said, flashing a smile.

"How's your boat doing?"

"It's great, Jimmy, just great. You did an awesome job on it." Miranda raved.

"Yes, and George's woodwork is amazing." Ben added.

"So, what are you guys doing down here? Is there a yacht club trip this weekend?" James said.

"No, we're just checking in on the boat."

"I see, I see. Well, listen, we're having a cookout later and maybe getting some crabs. And we might go out on a new boat here. _Naughty Gal_, have you guys seen it yet? Man, it's a nice one."

"No, we haven't."

"Well, you guys both should come, it'll be a lot of fun."

Ben looked at Miranda. "Yeah, that's a good idea. We'll be there."

"Alright! See you then." James said, before walking back towards the boatyard.

Callie made her way back to her boat. She saw Richard and Adele pulling in on the way and went to help them tie in.

"Hey Callie, how are you?" Adele asked.

"I'm good, thanks."

"You guys partying tonight?"

"Actually, we're having a little cookout down on the dock. Would you guys like to come?" she offered, thinking it would be okay with the others if she invited them.

"That would be lovely." Adele said. "I'll make sure to bring an extra change of clothes for Richard, in case he decides to go swimming again."

The trio laughed.

"Awesome, see you guys later!" The brunette continued her way back to her boat.

* * *

"This is _Naughty Gal_ calling _White Swan_, over." Cristina said into the VHF radio.

"White Swan here. Hey Cris love, how are ya?" Izzy said.

"Good here, baby doll. We're having a party tonight, down on the dock at the marina. I was just calling you guys to let you guys know about it. Come!"

"_Naughty Gal_, no plans tonight. We'll be there!" Izzy replied.

"_Margaritaville_ to _Naughty Gal_. This is Teddy, heard ya'll on the radio."

"Erica!" Cristina said. "You guys should come too!"

"Alrighty! Preston and I were just talking about it. We're all out here in the bay, fishin' and stuff. I think everyone out here is on this channel."

"Yeah?" Cristina said.

"This is _Glamorous_ to _Naughty Gal_. Mind if Henry and I stop by?" Virginia asked.

"Not at all, please come!" Cristina leaned over and whispered to Owen, "I think we're gonna have a big party tonight. You thnk that's okay?"

"_Sunny Delight_ to _Naughty Gal_, over."

"Reed!" Cristina yelled into the mic. "You and April coming too?"

"We'll be there!"

"Saa-weet."

And just like that, everyone was invited. Tonight would be the turning point in the summer for everyone, but especially so for Callie and Arizona.

Callie went by to see Arizona right at four o'clock. The girls went to the grocery store to pick up food and ice for the cookout and James took his skiff up the river after work and got a bushel of crabs for the cookout. And, as expected, everyone showed up.

The grubbing started underneath the covered slips in the middle of the Dirty Dozen. Everyone set up their grills in front of their boats and brought out their coolers. James and Callie hauled a picnic table from the boatyard and set it up right at the end of the dock next to the water.

It was a buffet of sorts. Alex and Izzie grilled fish, Richard and Adele cooked hamburgers and hot dogs. James, of course, made good on his promise for crabs and Miranda and Ben grilled pork chops. It was definitely a Dirty Dozen kind of party.

"Hey there." Callie said from behind Arizona.

The blonde turned around and flashed Callie a soft smile. "Hey to you too. You having fun?"

"How could I not? Arizona, I've never been around people like this. I haven't stopped smiling since I've been here."

"Me either. This is definitely the best summer I have ever had." the blonde said, looking Callie in the eyes.

Awkward silence.

"So, hey," the brunette said, "Have you tried Virginia's salad thingy?"

"No, I haven't."

"It's pretty good. I don't really know what's in it or if it's even a salad, but it's good!" Arizona linked her arm with Callie's, leading the way back to the others.

Meanwhile, Steph and Addison shared a few moments of conversation, talking about 'life in general' while Derek and James went swimming off the dock. As the night went on, the grills were turned off and the coolers were emptied. Derek and Addison had both been drinking, as well as everyone else, so it was decided just to stay at the marina rather than taking out their boat.

Richard and Adele chatted with Ben for a bit while Miranda took a liking to Erica and her bff, Burke. Finn sat with George at the picnic table and finished the last of the crabs. The rest of the group just mingled with each other.

Just at sunset, Virginia came out onto the gas dock from the Dirty Dozen. "Hey guys! Picture time! Come on now, you guys all get together, all hugging and all, and we'll have some memories tomorrow."

Everyone got close and Virginia snapped a few pictures on her digital camera. After the flash went off, everyone huddled around the camera to look at the photo.

Everyone smiled and awed at the picture, asking Virginia to make them copies when she could. Steph, on the other hand, furrowed his brows when he saw the picture. _Huh._he thought to himself. He and Callie had been on different sides in the picture. He studied how Arizona's arm had been around Callie's waist and how she had been kissing the blonde on the cheek. What he noticed even more was that he wasn't even looking at his girlfriend in the picture or wondering why she hadn't been by his side. Instead, he saw himself looking at Addison.

He looked up from the camera and over the group of people around him to see Callie laughing with Arizona. The brunette looked over at him, smiled and waved, then returned back to her conversation with Arizona. He looked back down at the picture.

Steph walked over to his girlfriend. "Hey." he said.

"Hey sweetie." Callie said, looking up at him. "What's up?"

"Can we talk for a minute?"

"Sure." Callie looked at Arizona. "I'll be back in a few." The blonde nodded with a smile as she sipped on a drink.

Stephan and Callie walked to the end of the gas dock and sat down.

"Is everything okay Steph?"

"Yes, I just…we need to talk."

TheLlatina looked down at the water.

"Callie, we always said we'd be honest with each other, right?"

"Right?" Callie didn't know where this was going.

Steph grabbed her hand. "Well, I think it's time we start doing that."

Back on the gas dock, everyone was still partying.

"Hey guys, we're going to need some more beer." James said. "I'm gonna go up to the corner store - whose coming with?"

"I'll ride." Derek said, grabbing his hat.

A few minutes later, Addison walked up to Arizona and Cristina. "Hey, anyone seen Derek?" The redhead asked.

"Oh yeah, he just left on a beer run with James." Arizona said, pointing down the dock.

"And where's Stephan?"

"At the end of the gas dock talking to Callie," the blonde again replied, pointing to the other end.

"Callie, I just don't know what's happened since we've been here." She thought maybe he was talking about Arizona and how much time they'd been spending together. Steph continued. "You know, I can see myself spending the rest of my life here."

_Oh man, I really, really hope he's not proposing to me, _Callie thought to herself.

"Cals, you know I love you, right?"

"Of course I do, Stephan," the brunette said, suddenly feeling guilty for the amount of time she hadn't been spending with her boyfriend. "I love you too," she said, putting her arm around him.

"I need to tell you something, Callie."

"Okay…" the Latina hesitantly questioned with a hint of curiosity. "What is it?"

"I don't know. I just...Callie, that picture we took tonight...well, I looked at it."

"Yeah! It was a great picture, huh?" she asked, pepping up a bit.

"Listen to me, Callie. I looked at it and you know what I saw?" Steph was looking square into her eyes. "I saw you kissing Arizona's cheek and I saw her arm around your waist."

"I'm sorry, Steph. I should have been beside you, it just happened so fast and I-"

"No Callie, it's okay! But listen, you two were on the left and I was clear across the other side of the picture. But you know what? I wasn't even looking at you." Steph pulled out the camera that he had managed to temporarily sneak away from Virginia. "Look," he said, handing the camera to the brunette.

Callie smiled when she saw the picture of the group. She noticed how happy she and Arizona looked. It _**is**_a cute picture of them, she thought. Then she looked at Steph and noticed he was all smiles, looking at Addison. Callie quickly shot her head up to meet Stephan's eyes.

"I like her." Steph said, kinda answering the brunette's silent question.

"Really?" she said with a smile, squinting her eyes.

"Yeah. She makes me laugh, you know?" Steph looked out on the water. "I always did with you too, but she's…different. It's like I want to get to know her more. I want to know everything about her."

"I know what you mean." Callie smiled. "I feel that way when I am with Arizona."

James and Derek came back with more beer - and with Finn, who had gotten lost in the boatyard. James introduced him to the group as he poured two more cases of beer into the cooler.

"You guys _**do**_ seem to have a lot of fun around here. You do this every night?"

"Just about." James said, cracking a beer open and handing it to Finn. "I told you man, you gotta start hanging out with us more often."

"So what about us?" Callie hesitantly asked.

"I love you, Callie. You know that. But you and I, we're not in love. We're more like best friends. I see more between you and Arizona than I do with us. Something tells me that you won't be mad at me for this."

Callie thought about what was happening. "I know and I'm not. I just…what about the boat and Chicago and everything?"

"What about it, Cal? It's just stuff. What, best friends can't own a boat or live together?" Steph said, laughing.

"Yes, they can I guess," she said in agreement. "So, we're friends?"

"Yes, that's the way I'd like it to be. Steph said. "It'll be best for the both of us. No cheating, or lying, or feeling guilty for feelings you and I both cannot control. I have always wanted you to be happy, Callie Torres. I think you, as well as I, will be happier this way."

"I agree," the brunette said, looking down at her dangling feet.

As Callie and Steph talked, the party at the dock continued on. Ben and Mark played a few hands of blackjack in the poker room beside the ship store while Miranda and James chatted at the other end of the dock.

"Do you think you could change the zincs on _Queen Bee _tomorrow? Ben says they may need checking." Miranda said, taking a sip of her wine.

"No offense, Ms. Bailey, but it's Saturday night and I really down want to talk about work right now."

"I know, I'm sorry," James turned to walk away. "but, it's just something that we need to have done."

James rolled his eyes before turning back around. "I have Sundays off."

"Please, James. What would it take?"

James looked around for a minute and finally smiled, returning his eyes to Miranda's. He got a beer from the cooler. "I'll tell you what," he started. "you beer bong this Miller Lite and I'll change your zincs tomorrow."

Miranda looked around. "What do you mean, like _**chug**_ it?" she asked with a sarcastic laugh.

"Something like that." James chuckled.

"Well I cannot do that. I cannot just go around chugging beer like a, like a frat boy in public."

"Okay then, you'll have to wait until sometime next week to have your zincs done."

"So, what's going on with you and Arizona?" Steph asked.

"Nothing...I don't know. Steph, she's so different from anyone I've ever met. Some of the best times I've had in my life have been with her and I've known her, what, all of two months?"

"You know, Callie. I know you're not gay and all," Steph said quoting the word 'gay' with his hands. "but you don't have to be gay to fall in love with another girl. Maybe you just love Arizona. Does that make any sense?"

"That's the thing. I don't know if I love Arizona or if it's just this town." Callie started rambling. "And I was thinking about what you said about us eventually having to leave. You know? What if do fall in love with Arizona or what if I already have? What would I do? Move here and forget my whole life in Chicago? And the boat - we bought it together. If I stay and you move, it's just going to be different and...complicated," she finished as her voice trailed off.

Steph could see the confusion in Callie's eyes, he put his arm around her. "You always were one to plan everything ahead."

"Yeah, well I didn't plan on meeting Arizona."

"I know, and I didn't plan on meeting Addison."

"Yeah." Callie sighed.

"Yeah."

After a few moments, Stephan broke the silence. "Hey, let's play it by ear, Cal. Whatever happens, happens. We'll deal with it when the time comes. Okay?"

"Alright." the brunette agreed, smiling at her newfound best friend.

As they walked nack up the dock to join the others, Steph thought of Addison and Callie thought of Arizona. They looked at each other and smiled, unsure of what the rest of the summer would bring, but knowing everything was going to be okay.

When Callie and Steph got back to the party, they found James and others chanting for Miranda as she beer bonged a can of Miller Lite. Most of the people there were circled around the feisty brunette, watching on. "We don't see this everyday, do we bro?" Mark asked James.

"Hell no, this is crazy!"

Ben watched as his girlfriend joined in on the young fun.

"Uhhhhhgg!" Bailey said, bending over and wiping beer from her mouth. "How do you guys do that more than once?"

Steph and Callie joined the group.

"Hey!"Derek said, noticing Steph. "You guys missed it! Bailey just did a beer bong!" The group laughed.

"I'll see you later, okay?" Steph almost whispered, turning to look at Callie. "I'm gonna go see where she is."

She smiled. "Okay." _What a great guy_, she thought. _I'm glad he's happy._

Arizona noticed Callie from the cooler, where she was grabbing a beer. Through the crowd of people, she saw her friend looking out onto the water, thinking to herself. The blonde made her way over to Callie and stuck her head on her right shoulder from behind.

"Lot on your mind?" Arizona said softly.

Callie turned her head to see Arizona smiling. "Yeah. You could say that."

"Everything okay with you and Stephan?" the blonde asked asked.

"Yes, everything is good." Callie said, deciding not to tell Arizona about their recent conversation just yet.

Steph walked up to Addison, who had been talking to Cristina and Owen. "Hey," he said with a smile.

"Hey yourself. Enjoying the party?"

"I am. You?"

"Of course. I always enjoy their parties here," Addison smiled. "but I'm enjoying it much more now." Steph looked down at his beer that her had been clutching with both hands, then back up to Addison with a shy smile.

"Come on, grab your beer. I want to show you something." Arizona said, standing offering a hand to Callie.

The blonde led Callie back onto the dock where the covered slips were and through the Dirty Dozen. Right after you pass the main slips there is a firewall - just a solid wall built to separate those slips from the others. Before you get to the firewall, on the right, there are two flights of stairs that go to the rafters on the roof. James and the guys had built it two summers ago so they could access the electrical equipment used for the marine store and poker room.

Callie and Arizona went up the stairs and through a set of doors. It was similar to an over-sized attic and to the left was a little room with a window and some pillows. To the right there were five planks, flesh to each other going all the way back down towards the end of the gas dock. "Follow me, but be careful." Arizona said, looking back at the brunette. Callie nodded, looking down with each step.

"When my brother and the guys build skiffs in the winter, they use this big space for their blueprints so they can lay them out to see them better. People also use it for wrapping their sails because they need lots of of space."

Callie listened to Arizona, still walking cautiously. They were walking over top of the dirty dozen back towards the group down below.

"And there's your boat down there." Arizona said, pointing down to the left.

They made it to the end and arrived at a platformed, a-framed opening. "Wow." Callie said under her breath, looking out onto the water. "This is amazing, Arizona."

The blonde smiled. They were about thirty feet up and parallel to the dock beneath them, where everyone else was. Just she and Calliope.

The girls sat down beside each other and dangled their feet over the ledge.

"And this is my second favorite place in Pine Valley." Other than me and the guys, you're the only person who knows about this."

"Well, your secret is safe with me." Callie said with a smile.

Arizona looked at the brunette and returned the smile. The moonlight was hitting Callie's face in a way that, for a moment, mesmerized the blonde. She quickly averted her eyes down to the water.

"Calliope, we haven't talked about this, but I am pretty sure by now you know that I'm, uh...that I'm gay." Arizona continued, turning again to Callie. "Does that bother you?"

"What? Arizona, no. Not at all. I do live in Chicago, remember?" Callie smiled. "I have loads of gay friends."

"I know, I just - I find myself looking at you sometimes and I don't know why. I just don't want to make you to feel uncomfortable."

Callie didn't break the eye contact. "There's no way that could ever happen. I feel more comfortable with you than with anyone I've ever met."

Arizona smiled softly and brushed a stray lock of hair from Callie's face and tucked it behind her ear. "Good."

For some reason, Callie slowly grabbed Arizona's hand and held it. Both girls, feet still dangling, faces softly smiling, stared out straight ahead to the water. Neither one said anything. Neither one knew why they were holding hands, but it felt right for both of them. Finally Arizona broke the silence.

"Wanna go swimming?" she asked the brunette.

"Yes, that'd be nice."

"Okay," Arizona stood up and extended her hand to Callie. "On the count of three. One. Two…"

"Wait! We're gonna jump from up here?" the Latina asked with concern.

"Yeah, why not?"

"Well, it's high up, that's gotta be like 25 feet at least!"

"Yeah. Actually it's about 30. And it's fun." Arizona took Callie's hand into her own. "Ready?"

"Alright, alright. I'll go." Callie said, trying to hide the fact that she was a little more than scared.

Arizona counted "One."

"Two." Callie said, breathing in sharply.

"Three!" both said in unison, as they jumped into the water below. The splash caught the rest of the group on the dock by surprise. They all looked around, then down into the water. James smiled when he saw Callie and Arizona, knowing where they had jumped from. He knew his sister never took anyone up there. Steph looked on and smiled as well, seeing both of them happy.

"Those girls are crazy!" Addison said turning back to her conversation with Steph, Cristina and Owen.

Callie looked at Arizona. "That _**was**_ fun!"

"I told you!"

And for a moment, it was just them, the water, and the moonlight.

They both treaded water, just inches in front of each other. "Summer nights." Callie said softly, spitting water out of her mouth. "That's my third S." Arizona smiled, never taking her eyes off of the girl in front of her.

Arizona and Callie climbed up the ladder and joined the rest of the group on the dock. Arizona grabbed her keys from the boat and opened up the marine store to get towels for she and Callie.

"Here ya go." the blonde said, handing Callie a towel.

"Thanks."

George went into the marine store and turned on the radio.

"Hey O'Malley, man, turn this up!" James yelled from the cooler.

**"We get it almost every night  
When that moon is big and bright  
it's a supernatural delight  
Everybody's dancing in the moonlight…"**

Everyone stood around, chatting, laughing and drinking their beer. Callie glanced over across the way to Stephan, who was talking to Addison. She smiled.

**"Everybody here is out of sight and  
they don't bark and they don't bite  
They keep things loose they keep it tight  
Everybody's dancing in the moonlight…"**

Steph looked over to Callie and smiled as he saw her drying off Arizona's back. They met eyes and smiled. He was happy for her.

**"Everybody's dancing in the moonlight  
Everybody's feeling warm and right  
It's such a fine and natural sight  
Everybody's dancing in the moonlight…"**

Everyone started dancing. Though Steph wanted to dance with Addison, he knew she was still with Derek. No one really danced with anyone in particular, they just danced around and enjoyed the night.

**"Everybody here is out of sight  
They don't bark, and they don't bite  
They keep things loose, they keep things light  
Everybody was dancing in the moonlight…"**

Callie twirled Arizona and Ben cuddled Miranda from behind as they swayed. The music fit the mood and the words to the song fit Callie's heart. Under the moonlight, everyone sang.

**"Everybody's dancing in the moonlight  
Everybody's feeling warm and right  
It's such a fine and natural sight  
Everybody's dancing in the moonlight…"**

* * *

**Song credit: Dancing in the Moonlight - Harvest Moon**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thanks again everyone! The next chapter will be the Fourth of July chapter and with that, the story will be in full swing. I am now going to be posting updates in semi-real time trying to run them parallel with this actual summer. I hope that makes sense. **

**Also, this story was written well before a lot of the new characters were on the show. Having mentioned that, if anyone out there wants to see one of their favorite characters or ship, lemme know and I will see what I can do. :P**

**Thanks, thank again!**

**-Holly ;)**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

It had been a couple of weeks since the party, when Callie and Steph had amicably called it quits with each other. The brunette had not yet told Arizona about their breakup, but it was pretty obvious to most of the group what was going on. Steph had told Cristina about his love for Addison and also about his suspicion that Callie might have feelings for Arizona. But other than that, no one knew for sure what was really going on.

The Fourth of July celebration was making its way closer as the group began making plans for the holiday. Every year, James took everyone at the marina out on the _Pathfinder_to see the show on the water. He put both of the masts on and hung a flag between them, along with other decorations. He and others at the marina had been doing this for years, but this Fourth of July would be different as their new friends would be there to join them.

The Friday before the Fourth, Arizona and the guys, along with Callie and Steph, worked all day decorating the boat. Mark used the crane to put the masts up and James had hung the flag with the help of Derek and George. Callie and Arizona worked most of the day stringing lights on the masts and along side the length of the boat. They hauled coolers down, stocked the refrigerator with water and soda, and did some last-minute cleaning before the big day. Arizona was sweeping in the forward cabin when Callie came down the stairs.

"This should be the last of them." The Latina said, heaving a pile of lifejackets on the bed.

"Awesome, thanks! If we need more, we can always get some from Richard and Adele," the blonde replied, pushing a pile of dirt into the dust pan.

Callie sat on the bed across from the brunette. "I'm getting really excited, Arizona! I've never seen fireworks on the water before."

"Oh, it's amazing, Calliope. You can see like ten shows at once - Sandy Point's and the Avery's. Oh! And all of the islands do a show too. It's really cool."

Callie looked around the room. "Well, I think the boat is ready to go for Sunday night. What do you think?"

"I'd have to agree. We did a good job." Arizona replied with a smile.

"We did."

"So, uh, I was wondering if you had plans for tonight?" Callie asked, looking around nervously.

"No, nothing in particular. Why?" the blonde said, yawning.

"I was thinking, maybe we could go across the river for dinner tonight. Maybe to one of the islands or something?"

Arizona smiled. "I'd love that. When do you want to go?"

"Maybe leave around six or so? That good for you?"

"It's perfect."

Arizona yawned again. "I think I am going to take a nap, I'm so tired. What time is it?"

"It's about 3:30," the Latina said, looking at her watch.

"Can you come wake me up when you're ready to go?" Arizona asked, lying down on the bed.

"Sure thing," the brunette replied, handing Arizona a pillow. "Sleep well."

The blonde smiled as she watched Callie go up the stairs and off of the boat. "_Did she just ask me out on a date_?" she mumbled to herself.

Callie had a smile from ear to ear as she walked down the main dock. It hit her all of a sudden what she had just done. _"Did I just ask her out on a date? Do I __**want**__ it to be a date?" _

Callie suddenly became nervous. _"Where am I going to take her? I don't know where her favorite places are."_ In truth, the brunette hadn't even planned on going to dinner or taking her boat out tonight. But when she was standing in front of Arizona, it just came out. _"Okay, okay. James will know what to do."_

Callie turned left to go see James in the boatyard. She walked up to him and the other guys. "Hey J, can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked.

James noticed the nervousness in Callie's eyes and pulled her aside. "What's up, Cal? Everything okay?"

"Yes, everything is fine. Umm..." She began shaking her hands as she paced. "Well, James, I asked Arizona to dinner tonight. And I don't know if I meant it to be a date, but I think I did. No, I'm pretty sure I did, but she doesn't know that. Well, maybe she does…" Her voice trailed off nervously as she rambled.

James smiled. "And let me guess, you don't have anything to wear?"

"I'm being serious, dude. I didn't know that I was going to ask her until I actually did."

"Wait. Date? What happened to you and Steph?" he asked asked.

"Oh, we're just friends now." She said, almost in passing. "I'll tell you the story later, but I don't have time right right this second."

James acted confused and played along anyway, knowing full well what was going on. He listened as the Latina continued. "What I need to know is where Arizona likes to eat. Like, where's her favorite place to go? I don't know much about this area, but I wanted to go across the river. Somewhere on the water."

"Oh, okay. She really likes this place over on Soloman's Island called Captain John's. It's a really casual place on the water. They always have a reggae band there, it's awesome."

"Alright, now how do I get there?"

"You know when you go out in the channel, like you're going towards Cobb Island?" Callie nodded.

"Well, pass Cobb Island and you'll see the red marker 7 on the right. Follow that and it'll take you to the west side of the island. Captain John's will be the third dock down."

"Thank you so much, James!" She kissed him on the cheek. "I owe you one." she said, running back towards the docks.

"Have fun!" He called back

Callie walked down to her boat, thinking of what she was going to wear. "_I don't have a damn thing_, " she muttered to herself, stepping on board. She went into her cabin and fumbled through her clothes. Steph walked out of the shower with a towel wrapped around his waist.

Hey you." he said, surprising Callie.

The brunette looked up, a little startled. "Hey."

"What's up?"

"I can't find anything to wear! I am going to dinner with Arizona later and I don't have a thing to wear, Stephan!"

He laughed. "Relax, Callie. Get in the shower and I'll find something for you. By the way, I have a date tonight, too." Steph said, sticking his tongue out at her.

"Oh yeah?" she said. "Addison?" Stephan smiled and walked away.

"Wait, she has a husband I thought?"

He stuck his head back in the doorway. "Well, I guess things are complicated here in Sandy Point."

Callie grabbed a towel and went into the bathroom. Clothes, thanks to Cristina, two dabs of perfume and an hour and a half later, she was on her way to James's boat to wake Arizona.  
Callie walked down into the cabin and nudged the blonde. "Wake up, sleepyhead."

Arizona rolled over and met Callie's eyes. "Time to go?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.

"Yep, here are some clothes for you. I stopped by your boat and picked them up, thought you'd want something a little more comfortable for tonight."

"Thanks, that was sweet of you."

"You change here, I'll meet you down on the boat in a few minutes, okay?"

"We taking your boat?" the blonde asked.

"Yep."

"Okay." Arizona said smiling, pulling herself out of the bed.

The girls pulled out of the marina just around six o'clock. Callie tried to remember how James told her to get to the island, but she had to use her charts anyway.

Arizona noticed Callie studying the maps, looking out in front of her every once in a while. "So, where are we going?" the blonde asked.

"Well, I think I know. I've just never been there before." Callie replied. Just as she was staring to become worried that they were lost, she saw marker number 7. She let out a sigh and smiled.  
Arizona knew the water well. She knew exactly where they were.

"Callie, are we going to Captain John's by any chance?"

"Maybe." She looked at Arizona with a smile.

"This is my favorite place to come over here, how did you know?"

"I read minds. It's a talent really."

"Have you been here before?" Arizona asked with a smirk.

"Nope."

"Oh, you'll love it!" the blonde said, grabbing her arm. "They have a reg-"

"Reggae band, every night?" Callie caught Arizona off-guard by finishing her sentence.

The Latina looked at the girl beside her as she slowed down the boat, turning the wheel to dock. After quite a long stare, Arizona hopped off the boat as Callie threw her the lines to tie up.

The brunette grabbed her wallet and got off the boat. "Ready?" she said, offering her arm to Arizona.

"Ready." the blonde replied, linking her arm with Callie's.

They walked, arm in arm, down the long dock and into the sand. Captain John's was a fair-sized restaurant that sat right on the water and had it's own beach in front. There was a screened-in porch that faced the water and there were lit tiki torches that made a path from the dock to the main door. And, just as James had said, there was a reggae band playing on the deck.

"Two for dinner?"

"Yes. Could we maybe sit on the porch?" Callie asked. The hostess nodded and took them to a table by the water. The girls sat across from each other with the band behind Callie and the bar behind Arizona.

They shared a bottle of wine and talked over dinner. Callie ordered crab cakes and Arizona the salmon. They both tried a little of each other's dinner, The Latina discovering her extreme dislike for fish.

"So, do you miss Chicago?" the blonde asked.

"I do, but it's where I've lived, you know? I think I might miss it here in Sandy Point more than Chicago if I left."

"If?"

Callie smiled shyly. "I don't know Arizona, I really like it here. I feel home, like this is where I'm supposed to be."

"I've been here all of my life. I couldn't imagine going somewhere else and leaving it all behind."

"Maybe that's because you've never had to look for a place that feels so right?" Callie said as she leaned back in her chair, taking in her surroundings and Arizona in particular.

As Callie talked more about her life, Arizona looked over by the band and noticed a couple of familiar faces sitting at a table. It was Steph and Addison. She looked at Callie quickly, who had noticed her absence in the conversation.

"Is everything okay, Arizona?"

"Yeah, everything is fine," the blonde said, not wanting Callie to see Stephan having dinner with Addison. "I was, uh, just looking at the band."

"I haven't really seen the band all night. Mind if I sit next to you to watch?" Callie asked.

_Oooh, what do I do?_ Arizona thought. _If she sits on this side, she'll see Steph with Addison. If I say no, then she'll wonder why. Either way, she's gonna look in that direction anyway, may as well have her sit next to me._

"Sure." Arizona smiled.

Callie pulled over her chair and sat next to Arizona. She bobbed her head with the band as she scanned her surroundings. Then, she saw Steph and Addison. Arizona watched Callie from the corner of her eye, waiting for a _what the hell?_to come out of her mouth. Instead, she saw the brunette wave to the couple and smile.

"Okay, what did I miss?" Arizona asked.

"What do you mean?" Callie replied nonchalantly.

"Well, Calliope, your boyfriend is sitting over there with Addison, who I'm pretty sure is married to Derek, obviously on a date, and you don't care?"

"Actually Arizona, Steph and I aren't together anymore."

"What?" the blonde replied.

"Remember when he and I went down on the dock a couple of weeks ago and talked? When we had the party?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't know. We just realized that it'd be better not to be together as couple anymore."

"And this was, what, two weeks ago? And you didn't tell me?" Arizona asked semi-playfully.

"I know, I'm sorry. I don't know why I didn't tell you." Callie looked over to Stephan.

"Are you sad?" Arizona asked sympathetically.

"Not at all. Steph will always be in my life. He's a great guy, but we aren't in love. He likes Addison, a lot. And I…"

"You what?"

Callie met Arizona's eyes. "I'm really happy too."

The band began to play a familiar Bob Marley tune. Callie noticed Steph and Addison getting up to dance. Steph looked over at Callie and mouthed, "Ask her, silly."

She looked at Arizona, then back at Steph and then down into her lap, nodding to herself. As nervous as she was, she managed to softly grabbed the blonde's hand. "Let's dance."

Arizona looked at Callie with wide eyes and all she could mutter was an _okay._The Latina stood up and led the way to the dance floor where Steph and Addison, along with many other couples, were already in full swing.

It was then that Arizona noticed how beautiful Callie looked. The brunette had on a tight, tan colored tank top that matched perfectly with a sarong she had wrapped around her waist. Her hair was up in a messy ponytail, with a few stray hairs hanging down around her face. Callie took Arizona's hand and lifted it above them, with her other down by her side. They danced to the music.

**"I wanna love ya and treat you right  
I wanna love ya everyday and every night  
We'll be together with a roof right over our head  
We'll share the shelter of my single bed…"**

Callie glanced over at Steph and Addison and winked at her former flame. Winking back, he mouthed silently, '_Our girls are __**hot**__.'_

"Very." Callie softly replied back.

**"Is this love, is this love that I'm feeling...?"**

Arizona was in a moment she never wanted to end. The sun was setting on the beach beside them, she was with Callie and they were dancing. _It doesn't get much better than this,_she thought as they continued to enjoy the music.

**"I wanna know, wanna know, now  
I've got to know, got to know  
I'm willing and able  
So I throw my cards on your table…"**

Callie twirled Arizona and then pulled the blonde to meet her eyes as she sang along with the music.

**"Is this love, is this love, that I'm feeling...?"**

Callie and Arizona danced a few more songs, waved goodbye to Steph and Addison, and left Captain John's. They were pulling away from the dock just at the end of sunset.

* * *

It was unusually chilly for a July night. The stars were beginning to come out and the full moon lit the waters around them. Arizona stood beside Callie as they navigated the boat. "Kinda cold out tonight, huh?"Arizona asked.

"Yeah, it is." The brunette replied. "Do you need to get back to the marina any time soon?"

"I'm free until my shift tomorrow morning," Arizona smiled.

"You sure? 'Cause I was thinking maybe we could stay out here for awhile." Callie said. "That sound good?"

Arizona linked her left arm with Callie's right. "Sounds perfect."

The girls drove through the channel and anchored out off of Fairview Beach, just west of Sandy Point. Callie grabbed Arizona's hand. "Come on, I'll give you a tour of the boat," the brunette said, pulling Arizona down below.

"This is the galley," the Latina said, giving her best 'Vanna-White-showing-off-a-car' impression. "And back there is the bathroom and aft cabin. The girls went back up the stairs, through the living room, and down to the forward cabin.

"And here is the master bedroom. This is where I sleep. Oh, and check out this bathroom - there's a porcelain tub!" Callie said excitedly. "Cool, huh?"

"Very. Your boat's pretty awesome." Arizona replied.

"Oh and lemme show you the bridge!" Callie said, taking Arizona's hand again.

"Wow." This is awesome, Callie." Arizona said, looking around. "This is huge. And you even have a dinghy!"

"Yeah." Callie said, nodding her head.

Both girls just stood quietly next to each other. "Hey, I have an idea," the brunette said. "let's take this thing out for a run." she finished, pointing at the dinghy.

"Oooh, fun."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." Arizona smiled.

"Okay, I am going to go down and get a few things from the cabin. Could you start cranking down this rope right here?" Callie said, pointing to the wheel.

"Sure."

"Okay, I'll be right back." Hurrying down to the cabin, she grabbed a couple of blankets, a pillow, a bottle of wine, and two glasses. She saw Steph's zippo lighter sitting on the table. She smiled and grabbed that too. "You got that thing in the water yet, Arizona?" Callie called from downstairs.

Callie went out back and looked down into the water. "You coming or what?" Arizona asked, looking up from the dinghy, which she had successfully gotten into the water and started.  
Callie looked down at Arizona. _She's so beautiful,_she thought. She smiled at the blonde, making her way down the back of the boat onto the swim platform and into the dinghy. She put her bag in the front of the boat and sat down beside Arizona in the back. "Okay, let's go."

Arizona drove the small boat to the beach and pulled it ashore. Callie grabbed her bag and joined Arizona on the beach. The brunette took a blanket out of her bag and laid it out in front of the water. Arizona sat down and stretched her feet out in front of her and propped herself up on her elbows as Callie pulled the bottle of wine and glasses out of her bag.

"Shit," the Latina said. "I forgot the wine key."

"It's okay. I'll run back to boat and get it. I need to get something anyway."

"Okay, I can go if you want." Callie offered.

"No," Arizona smiled. "you can keep the blanket warm."

"Alright." Callie said, still seated, looking up at Arizona.

The blonde leaned down and kissed Callie on the cheek. "See you in a few."

Callie smiled. "You bet."

Arizona hopped in the dinghy and started back towards the boat. Callie, starting to get a little chilly, decided to make a fire. She went back into the grassy area of the beach and gathered some scrap wood and branches. She took the wood back to the beach and lit a small fire between the blanket and the water. She threw some dry grass on top of the small flame to get it going a bit. "Perfect." she muttered to herself, just as Arizona was pulling back up to the beach.

She looked up to meet eyes with the blonde. "Hey."

"Hey, you made a fire?"

"Yeah, it was getting a little chilly."

"Yeah, I know. I got a hoodie for you." Arizona said, tossing the brunette a sweatshirt. "And here's the key."

Callie opened the bottle and poured each of them a small glass. "To tonight," she said, clinking her glass to Arizona's.

The blonde smiled. "To tonight."

The girls sat by the fire and talked.

"So let me ask you something, Calliope."

"Sure."

"Was tonight a date?" the blonde asked, not sure whether she should have or not.

Callie looked into the fire and out at the water and slowly over to Arizona. "Yes, I think so. Well, yes it was."

Arizona smiled.

"Is that okay?" Callie asked.

"Of course it is. I guess it just came out of the blue for me, you know?"

Callie sat up and propped her forearms on her knees, holding her glass of wine. Arizona did the same, looking out into the water.

"Arizona, I have thought about this a lot, because I knew this conversation would eventually happen between us. I wanted to know what I would say to you when it did. I hadn't planned on going to dinner tonight when I asked you. I just knew that I wanted to spend time with you."

Arizona listened as the brunette talked.

"This is so crazy for me, Arizona. I mean, I felt something for you before I even knew you were gay. It's just there between us I guess. I like you, a lot. At first, I thought maybe it was just because you were so awesome and different than anyone I had ever met."

"I can tell you that I still have a lot of things to figure out with all of this, but I am strangely not confused with my feelings for you. I was before, because it was so unexpected. But I know that right now, at this moment, I want to see where this goes."

Callie looked at the girl sitting next to her. She saw a crooked, dimpled smile by the firelight. "Is that enough for right now?" the brunette asked with questioning eyes.

Arizona nodded with a soft smile and pulled Callie into a hug. After a few moments, Callie reluctantly pulled away, grabbing the other blanket from her bag. She sat down on the blanket behind Arizona and wrapped the blanket around them both. She kissed the blonde on the cheek from behind and said the only thing she could think of.

"I'm so glad I met you, Arizona."

* * *

Callie woke up to the water brushing against her feet. She and Arizona had fallen asleep on the beach last night. The tide had since come in, so the water was ebbing in and out on their legs. She sat up and looked over at the blonde, who was still asleep lying on her side - just the way she was last night when Callie had fallen asleep, spooning her from behind.

She brushed a lock of hair away from Arizonas face as she thought about last night. The girls had stayed up talking, learning a little more about one another.

_"What's your last name, Calliope?" Arizona asked softly._

"_Torres," the Latina replied. "Nothing exciting, I know. What's yours?"_

"_Robbins."_

"_Arizona Robbins." She smiled. "I like that."_

She looked out to the horizon, the sun would be coming up soon. She got up and tucked her part of the blanket around the rest of Arizona. She smiled at the blonde and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. Callie wanted to get a couple of things from the boat for she and Arizona before the sun came up. _I should leave her a note_, she said to herself.

Callie fumbled through her bag. "No pen," she muttered. She checked the front pocket and found a pencil. She checked her other pockets. "No paper," she said, throwing her pencil nonchalantly in the water with an 'oh well' expression on her face.

She went over to the grassy area and picked up a twig. She walked next to where Arizona was still sleeping, knelt down, and wrote a note in the damp sand. "Just in case you wake up," the brunette said under her breath, sticking the twig in the sand as if it were a pen holder.

Callie hopped in the dinghy and began driving back to her boat. With the wind blowing in her hair, she looked back in the direction of Arizona. She turned back around and smiled, noticing the sun was almost up.

Maybe it was the sound of the dinghy starting up or maybe it was the absence of Callie next to her. Whatever it was, Arizona did something she had never in her life done - she woke up on her own. She sleepily peeked an eye open to notice a stick in front of her face poking out of the sand. She looked beside her - Callie wasn't there. Slowly, she propped herself up on her left arm, took the stick and saw the note Callie had left for her, etched in the sand…

_Dimples,  
Went to the boat. Sit tight. Be back in five.  
Love, Callie_

Arizona smiled at this, looking in the direction of Callie's boat, mooring in the distance.

Callie went to the galley and started a pot of coffee. She went down to her bedroom and grabbed a camera and Stephan's guitar. She went back upstairs and hurriedly poured the finished coffee into a thermos, grabbed two mugs, and was out the door.

On her way back to the beach, Callie noticed Arizona wasn't there. She pulled ashore and grabbed her things and began walking to where they had slept the night before. The blankets were still there. _Maybe she's peeing or something,_the brunette thought to herself. Just then, she noticed a note in the sand.

_Follow Me. :)_

There was an arrow pointing to a footprint, then another. And another. Callie smiled as she followed the trail of footprints in the sand up to a small, weathered pier. Arizona was sitting at the end of it, with a banket wrapped around her shoulders and her back to Callie. The brunette walked down the dock, stopping halfway to admire Arizona from afar. As if Arizona could feel her staring, she turned around, placed a lock of hair behind her ear and flashed a sleepy smile. "Hey."

Calie started walking towards her. "Good morning, sleepy head," she said, sitting down on the end of the pier next to the blonde. "I made us some coffee." She poured each of them a cup and set the thermos aside.

"Nice morning, isn't it?" Callie asked.

"Yes, it is. The sun should be coming up soon, right over there I think," the blonde replied, pointing a little to the right of them.

Callie stole a glance from Arizona as the blonde was still looking for the sun.

The girls sipped on coffee as the sun came up. The cloudless sky was purple, then orange, then a little of both. As the sky got brighter, Callie set her coffee down and grabbed the guitar.  
She looked at the frets, then at her fingers, then back to the frets again. "Okay, be nice, Arizona. This is my first performance for anyone." Callie laughed nervously.

"You can play?" Arizona asked.

"Umm, well no, er, yes. Well, Steph's been teaching me...or trying to anyway."

"Alright, well I'm all ears." Arizona said averting her attention to te girl beside her.

**"Little darling, dear  
it's been a long, cold, lonely winter.  
Little darling dear,  
it feels like years since it's been here…"**

Callie sang, attempting to perfectly pick the strings. She wasn't doing bad, but Arizona could tell she was a beginner. The blonde sang along with her, looking out into the water.

**"Little darling,  
the smiles returning to their faces.  
Little darling,  
it feels like years since it's been here.**

"Here comes the sun  
Here comes the sun and I say  
it's alright…"

The girls laughed and sang together on the end of the dock in front of the morning sunlight. Callie put down the guitar and stood up. "Gimme your hand," she said, pulling Arizona up. She took a camera out of her left pocket and put her right arm around the girl.

"So we'll remember this day forever." she said, looking at the blonde. Callie positioned the camera in front of them and snapped a picture of she and Arizona, with the sunrise just off to the right.

Callie looked at the blonde. "Arizona, doesn't it usually take an act of congress to get you up every morning? Why did you wake up?"

"I really don't know. Maybe somehow I knew I would miss all of this with you if I'd stayed asleep."

"Good enough for me," she said with a smile, linking her arm with Arizona's, looking back out at the sunrise.

The girls packed up and made their way back to Sandy Point just after sunrise. It was a little after seven when they pulled into the marina.

"Up and at 'em early this morning, eh ladies?" James called from the dock store as they were tying in.

Mark peeked out. "Out for an early morning cruise?" He noticed the tired eyes on both of the girls. "…or never came back last night?"

"Something like that." Callie said with a crooked, tired smile as she tied the bowline onto the piling.

Both Mark and James joined the girls on the end of the dock. "How the hell did you get her to wake up?" James asked Callie, pointing to his sister.

"Hey! I am not that bad!" Arizona retorted. "Actually, I woke up on my own this morning. Isn't that right, Calliope?"

The brunette nodded in agreement with a 'yeah-but-I-was-surprised-by-it-too' kind of look.

"You're kidding, right? Arizona, it takes two people and a bucket of water to wake you up every morning."

"Whatever, James. Hey, isn't it a little early for you too? Aren't you usually you're still in your camper sleeping off your drunken stupor from the night before?"

James smirked. "So, you coming to work Ari? Or are we playing hooky today?" James pointed back and forth between she and Callie.

"Why wouldn't I be coming in?" The blonde stepped off the boat to join her brother and held out her elbow. "Escort me?" The siblings linked arms and began walking down the dock in the direction of the boatyard. Arizona turned around after only a few steps and put her fist to her mouth, signaling Callie to call her on the walkie talkies later.

The Latina smiled and gave a thumbs up. It was about then when she realized how tired she was. Yawning, she decided to hop back on her boat and head down to the cabin for a nap.

Cristina and Adele were walking up the dock, on their way back from a breakfast slash coffee run when Cristina noticed Callie's boat. "Wonder where Miss _**thang**_ was all night?" she said to Adele with an evil laugh.

"I dunno. I heard Addison saying she saw her and Arizona over on Soloman's last night. Maybe they took a little holiday up the river?"

Cristina and Adele both looked at each other and then at Callie's boat. "Ooh, let's go get the scoop." Cristina said with a laugh.

Callie had been asleep all of ten minutes when Cristina trampled her in the bed. "Okay missy, where were _**you**_ last night?"

"What? I have a curfew now?" Callie asked with a sleepy laugh.

"No, we just heard about your little excursion with boat girl over at Captain John's last night," Cristina started. "and we were just coming by to get all of the juicy details."

"What?" Callie asked. She looked at Cristina like she was crazy.

Callie liked Adele, but she didn't know her that well and she definitely didn't feel comfortable sharing what she and Arizona had done last night with her. Callie threw Cristina an 'I'll-tell-you-later' kind of look.

"Arizona and I went to dinner at Captain John's, then we anchored out and slept on the beach. It was _**super**_ cool, but I am _**super**_ tired. So, if you guys would kindly come back just a wee bit later, that would be _**super**_awesome."

Cristina an Adele laughed, both of them knowing more than that probably happened. They both knew that Callie and Steph were no longer together and that the two girls were, even though they didn't know it yet, crazy for each other.

Callie plopped back down into the bed. "Wait, how did you know we were at Captain John's, anyway?" she asked.

"We saw Addison and Steph last night. They said they saw you guys there." Adele replied.

Callie thought back to the dance she and Arizona had shared.

_"I wanna love you  
and treat you right  
I wanna love you,  
everyday and every night…"_

The brunette snapped out of it, remembering Steph. "Shit. I had the boat last night. Where did he sleep?"

Adele looked at Cristina and they both looked down at the floor and laughed. "I think he and Addison anchored out too, just out in the creek."

"Yeah, they had some boom-boom time probably."

Callie smiled. "Get outta here, I need some sleep!" the brunette shooed them off with a smirk.

Arizona was at her desk, asleep, when Mark and George came into the office. It was a quarter after noon and Arizona hadn't brought lunch into the shop yet. They found her with her head heavily rested under her left arm on a stack of files. Her right arm was hanging down towards the floor. Mark looked at George and nodded with a mischievous smile.

Two minutes later, George came back with the bull horn. Arizona was awake in seconds.

"Why so tired, Ari? Stay up too late last night?" Mark asked. "James tells me you and hot latina girl made a night of it out on the river."

Arizona smiled. "Yeah, it was fun." she said, half-way brushing off the comment.

Arizona ordered pizza from Joe's for the guys. They were in James's camper chowing down when Arizona's VHF went off.

"Pretty Eyes, to Dimples. Come in." James, Mark, and George all raised their eyebrows and looked at Arizona.

"Whaaaat?" she said, noticing their stare. She grabbed her radio and turned around to ignore them. "This is Dimples, over."

"Hey," Callie said.

"Hey yourself."

"I just wanted to thank you for last night. I had a great time with you." Arizona blushed as the guys looked on in a huddle, eating their pizza.

"I had a great time too, Calliope. Anytime you want to see the sun rise…"

"As long as you wake up on your own again," Arizona heard her laugh coming across the walkie talkie.

"Anyway, I am headed up to Philly to pick up some things for tomorrow," Callie added. "but I'll see you later?"

"Hopefully." Arizona replied.

The blonde sat her radio down and returned her attention to a slice of pepperoni pizza. She, again, felt the stare coming from the guys. She looked up. "Whaaaat?"

"Uh, nothing." They all said in unison, each grabbing another piece of pizza.

"So," Arizona started. "everything ready for tomorrow?"


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Couple of things. Every time I post this story somewhere, people always seem to think it is the last chapter. Not so. This is about 1/3 of the way done. I will say that while this story IS complete, I have not been posting it every day or even once a week because I am re-writing a lot of stuff. People want Lexie in the story, so it shall be. But it's like the butterfly effect - changing one thing so small changes the entire story later on.**

**Also, Callie and Arizona's sisters will be making an appearance soon. In the original version, Callie's sis is her twin. BUT I was thinking that in this fic, I could have their sisters be - wait for it - Brittany and Santana from Glee. I think it is a good idea, but that may just be because I am sort of a Glee fa-reeek at the moment. I wanted to know your thoughts on this. Yay? Nay?**

**In any case, on with the show. Thank you again for the reviews, favorites, anf follows. Even you lurkers - thanks! :)**

**-Holly**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

"Arizona, did you and Mark get another picnic table down to the dock?" James asked his sister.

"Yessum. Did you pick up ice from the store?"

"Affirmative." James looked at George. "You cleaned out all of the coolers, right?"

O'Mally nodded assuringly.

It was about 3:30 and Arizona and the guys, along with everyone on the dock, were getting things ready for the evening. Like every year, everyone always helped out, but they were the hosts of the party so everything had to be just right.

"Oh, Mark, you got the crabs?" James asked.

"Yep, picked them up from Burke this morning. In the poker room fridge, chilling down as we speak."

Ben and Miranda walked past the foursome. "Good afternoon." Miranda greeted them. "Everything ready for tonight?"

"Yes ma'am." Mark replied.

"Yeah and we cleaned out the beer bong - It's all ready to go for ya, Bailey." Arizona teased.

Miranda stifled a laugh. "Well, I made some potato salad for you guys." She held the dish up proudly. "Can I just put it in the refrigerator down on the dock?"

"Sure thing." James said.

"Thank you!" Arizona called as the petite brunette and Ben were walking away.

"So," James said, turning to his sister. "You got the lights up?"

"Done yesterday. And Steph cleaned up the poker room. Oh, and Callie's at the store getting the beer."

"_Pathfinder_ ready to go?"

"Yes!" Arizona and George said in unison.

"Well, looks like everything is set. It's going to be a good Fourth." James said, sitting down. "Now who wants a beer?"

* * *

Callie was at the store picking up the kegs. "Alrighty, that'll be $167.33, please." The cashier looked at the two barrels and back to the brunette. "That's quite a bit of beer you got there. Big party tonight?"

"Oh yeah, and there'll be a lot of angries if we run out of alcohol."

The Latina started counting silently on her hands who would be there. Once she ran out of fingers twice, she looked back at the clerk. "Ya know what, you may as well give me another one if you have it." She said with a smile, sarcastically thinking that James would probably need, or at least _**want**_, a keg all to himself.

Back at the marina, people were slowly beginning to trickle in. Arizona and the guys were at the end of the gas dock moving the picnic tables from out of the sun and under the covered slips of the Dirty Dozen. Richard and Adele were walking by as they sat the last one in place.

"Gonna be a muggy one today." Adele said, carrying a fresh pan of baked beans.

"Ooh, my favorite." Arizona said, peeking under the foil and then smiling at the couple.

Just like all of their festive get-togethers, the grills started coming out. People were coming down the long dock in groups, lugging bags of charcoal, ice, and coolers. Arizona unlocked the poker room and the marine store, and turned the radio on. James moved _Pathfinder _from its slip and tied up in front of the gas dock. When it was time to go out for the fireworks, it would be right there and ready to go.

Virginia and her husband brought shrimp and oysters. Izzie and Alex showed up with catfish and perch, caught fresh from their morning trip on the river. Steph decided on furnishing the traditional hamburgers and hotdogs. Everyone else came with the little stuff - deviled eggs, salads, and such.

Owen and Cristina were coming down the dock, lugging two coolers behind them. "Hey guys!" Cristina called out.

"Hey hey!" James said, greeting the couple. "Whatcha got there?"

"Well, I really don't know how to cook anything, so I brought party favors!"

"Uhh, why do you have party favors in a cooler?" George furrowed his brows.

Popping the lid to the cooler up, Cristina proudly offered jello shooters. "And we have plenty to go around. Cause drunk people are fun."

"Daaaamn." Mark said. "There's gotta be like 500 of these suckers." He pulled one out and ate it. Satisfied, he grabbed five more. "Hey James, try one of these, buddy."

"Awww Cristina, you're like my new best friend." James said, grabbing a stack of his own and stuffing a few in his pockets.

She smiled. "Whatever, bitches. I'm everyone's best friend."

Callie was making her way down the dock, trying her best to balance the three kegs on a dolly as she walked. Bump, click, bump, click. Satisfied she was getting the hang of it, she began walking a little faster. The dolly started to wobble and after struggling and fumbling with them, the top keg fell off.

_Click._

Click.

Bump.

Splash!

_"Fuck."_

The barrel rolled into the water and was now bobbing right in front of the stern of Owen and Cristina's boat. She looked around, hoping no one had seen her clumsiness. She put her hands on her hips and bit her bottom lip.

The Latina grabbed a spare rope from her the dock and laid down on her stomach, attempting to tie one end to the handles on the keg. She stretched and reached with her body until just her legs were on the dock. "_Damnit_!" she yelled to no one. As she scooted another inch forward, she lost her balance and fell over, joining the keg in the water.

"Where the hell is the beer?" James asked.

Arizona looked at her watch and put her hands on her hips. "Callie should have been here by now, she left over an hour ago."

Just as the blonde finished her sentence, she and the others heard splashes under their feet in the water. Callie appeared from underneath the dock. keg. Holding on to each end of the keg and clumsily kicking her feet, she spoke to the group on the docks above.

"Hey guys." All eyes turned down to the brunette.

"What happened, Callie?" George asked.

"Well, let's see. Clumsy here," Callie said, pointing to herself. "tried to carry three kegs on a single dolly down the dock. The top one fell in and then so did I. So, now I'm here."

Everyone laughed. Callie let the barrel bob and climbed up the dock ladder as Mark and Geroge got the keg up with ropes from the ship store. Arizona grabbed her a towel, but not without noticing how beautiful the brunette looked fresh out of the water.

Mark and Alex got the other two kegs and took them down the dock. A few minutes later, everyone was enjoying crabs and beer. The women in the group traded recipes for the dishes they had prepared, as everyone seemed to like all of the food. It was a little after seven when everyone started getting up from the tables, refilling their beers and breaking off into their own groups.

"It's getting late, guys. We should get out into the river early before it's swamped with boats." James suggested, hopping onto his boat.

Everyone followed his lead, grabbing the coolers and leftovers. Steph and Mark hauled the full keg of beer on board as Callie helped Arizona do a head count.

"Thirty-three."

"I counted the same. We have forty jackets, so we're good." Arizona mumbled to herself mostly before hopping onto the boat. She turned around and offered Callie her hand aboard. "You ready?"

"You bet."

James was pretty drunk, so Arizona captained her brother's beloved boat up the river towards the main pier where the fireworks would be set off. With so many people littered on the main deck and in the cabin, Arizona steered from the top so she could see better. Every year, they usually anchored out and went swimming in the creek, but the traffic on the water this year prevented them from doing so. So instead, Arizona made an executive, sober decision that they would swim off of the gas dock later when they returned from the fireworks.

James, George, Mark, Steph, Addison, Cristina, Owen and few others scattered themselves up front on the bow. Virginia, her husband, Richard, Adele, Derek, Alex, Izzie, Miranda, Ben and some of their friends enjoyed a relaxed view from the deck of the stern. The blonde was steering around buoy number two when Callie climbed up on the top deck to join her.

"Hey," The Latina said, holding a glass of wine in her hand.

"Hey yourself, pretty lady." the blonde replied, looking ahead while paying attention to the many boats on their way to see the fireworks. As she finished rounding the buoy, she opened up and went a little faster.

Callie noticed the wind blowing through Arizona's hair and how amazing the blonde looked in the evening sunlight. She scanned her eyes over her friend, admiring her slim body clad in a blue tank top and short wrap tied around her waist. Callie, for some reason, found it particularly cute that Arizona was barefoot. _Not cute,_ she thought, _kinda sexy._

Arizona found a good spot right in front of the town pier. She turned the wheel straight and turned off the engines as James and Mark dropped the anchor off of the bow. A boat passed by the group, one that Derek recognized immediately. James shot him a look, with his eyebrows furrowed. "Is that Meredith?"

Meredith Grey was a girl from out of town that Derek had met last summer. Even though he had been Addison at the time, they had hit it off and eventually hooked up. His wife had found out and, much to his surprise, wasn't that upset about it.

"Meredith!" Derek called, his hands forming a cup around his mouth. The small boat pulled around over to the Pathfinder. "Derek?"

"Yeah! What are you doing in town?"

"I just came down for the weekend, to see the fireworks. You still over at the marina?"

"Yes. Man, it's been a long time, Meredith. Are you riding alone tonight?"

"I am," she flashed him a shy smile.

Derek looked at Addison, questioning silently if he could join her on her boat. Steph smiled as she nodded an _'okay' _to her husband. He hopped onto the other boat and the two slowly drifted off away from the rest of the group.

It hadn't been long before tonight that the couple had decided to see other people. Neither of them had been happy and it had been months that they gone a day without fighting with each other. Derek had told Addison of his affair with Meredith just a few weeks ago. And though they weren't really separated, as they still kind of lived together on the boat, they weren't exactly exclusive either.

Still, Derek gathered that Addison had been spending a lot of time with Steph, who he liked a lot. But he also knew that it would probably end when he and Callie had to leave at summer's end.

Arizona and Callie sat on the top platform of the boat while the others hung out on the opposite ends. Richard and Adele snuggled up with a bottle of wine and a blanket wrapped around them. Miranda and Ben had made it up to the bow with the younger group, who had broken out the beer bong. "Come on, Miranda." George teased, holding out the device like a bone for a puppy.

"Okay, what the hell? It's the Fourth of July, right?" Bailey said, grabbing the tube as Mark held the funnel above her head.

"Mir-an-da! Mir-an-da!" The group chanted as Callie and Arizona watched from above.

"We're definitely the _**loudest**_ boat out here." Callie said, pointing to the bow.

"Yep, that's usually how it is." the blonde replied with a giggle. "Anyway, are you having fun?"

Just then, there was a bang, signaling the fireworks had started. They both looked above them to see a huge explosion light up the sky.

The Latina looked at Arizona and then back to the view above them. "Absolutely."

The show lasted about forty minutes. Everyone _'oohed' _and _'ahhed'_at the fireworks. Callie and Arizona had stayed on top of the boat for the whole performance. The brunette had watched in awe most of the time, occasionally sneaking a glance of the woman beside her.

Just as the finale was ending, Arizona went back to the wheel and started the boat. "Take up that anchor James, I wanna beat this traffic in!" She called from the top.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I got you sis!" He gave a thumbs up shortly after, signaling that they were ready to head out.

"Now comes the best part." Arizona said to Callie as she was steering. "Look at all of the people setting off their own shows." The blonde pointed up and down the river.

"Over there is Harper Avery's place - that's where all the poker games are. And just to the right is Fairview Beach, oh and over there is Finn's house. They put on the best display every year."

Callie looked around in wonderment. Fireworks were going off in at least ten different spots on the river. She looked behind her as well and there were more. And in between, there were families on the beach waving sparklers and lighting fountains.

The rest of the group, the regulars in Sandy Point, were used to all of this. Most of them were up front shooting roman candles into the water or yelling through the bull horn at the other boaters passing. "Happy Birthday, America!" Mark shouted to the passersby. Miranda and Cristina held James's legs up while he did a keg stand.

But Callie, was taking every bit of it in and Arizona noticed this. She leaned over, still turning the wheel and whispered to her over the slight wind, "Pretty cool, huh?" The brunette could only smile.

And right then, for the first time, Callie wanted to kiss Arizona. No, not the first time she wanted to kiss her, but the first time she actually _**thought**_she might. She looked her right in the eyes and didn't let go of the stare. Callie studied every inch of the blonde's face, looking at her lips, then back to her eyes. She brushed some of Arizona's windblown hair aside and behind her ears.

Arizona felt it. That intensity that she had always wanted to have with someone. She noticed the certainty in Callie's eyes and she found that the brunette was, for the first time, speaking to her without words. It was there and then that the blonde knew she had fallen in love with the woman in front of her.

* * *

The _Pathfinder _pulled into the marina just after eleven and everyone was still ready to party. They pulled out the leftovers and re-iced the kegs. Some went to the poker room for a few hands of blackjack and Alex, along with Steph and Mark, brought out some of their own fireworks. The rest of the group decided to go swimming off the end of the gas dock.

Arizona, who had been lighting off bottle rockets with George, noticed Callie sitting alone on the end of the dock. She walked over to join the brunette.

"Hey. Don't feel like swimming?"

"No, I'm going to in a bit. I'm just thinking."

"You've been thinking a lot lately. Anything I can help with? Arizona offered sincerely.

"I'm, I'm taking all of this in."

"All of what?"

"This. Sandy Point. The people. You…" Callie's voice trailed off.

Arizona nodded, remembering the other night on the beach. She took Callie's hands into her own, pulling her up. "Come on, I want to show you something."

She led her down the gas dock to where her skiff was docked. The tide was going out, so it set very low from the pier. Arizona jumped in and helped the Latina down. She started the motor and pulled out from underneath the docks. A few minutes later, they were in the creek. The blonde found a good spot to stop and turned off the engine.

The air was breezy and warm, the moonlit water was still and like glass. There were two seats on the skiff, Arizona took the one in the back and faced Callie, who was sitting on the other. They sat across from each other with their knees inches apart.

"Every year on the Fourth of July, I come here." Arizona started. "It's nothing great or out of the ordinary, but I've always come here by myself," She took Callie's hand. "and this year, I just thought I'd share it with you."

"Yeah?"

The blonde shrugged happily. "Yes. You're special to me, so yeah."

The brunette looked over into the water, shaking her head to herself. "Arizona, you are amazing. I don't know what it is about you that gets to me. The air, the water, tonight - I've been places like this before, but it feels different with you. Every day I know you, I feel like I know myself a little more," She looked at the blonde. "It feels really, really good."

"I know," Arizona stared back with a soft smile. "It really does."

Arizona pulled a box out of her jacket pocket. "You're probably going to think I am the hugest dork for liking these, but I brought some sparklers to light. I usually only bring one, but..."  
Callie finished her sentence. "…this year you brought two?"

"Where are Arizona and Callie? They can't miss this, Mark!" James said.

"Don't worry, don't worry, I have plenty for when they come back." Everyone was standing round, waiting for the guys to start lighting the fireworks.

Arizon lit two sparklers and handed one to the girl in front of her. They played 'on-guard' with them and swirled them, making shapes in the air. Just as Arizona's was ready to go out, she drew a heart that trailed in Callie's eyes for a few seconds. The brunette smiled as her heart grew warm.

Callie shifted herself onto the edge of her seat, scooting in closer to Arizona. She looked into the blonde's eyes, slowly brushing a piece of Arizona's hair behind her ear. Unlike the other times, when she had said something silly or cracked a joke, Calliope Torres didn't say a word. She didn't move her hand either. Instead, she kept it there, on the back of her neck. Slowly, she moved her face to Arizona's, still looking into the blonde's eyes.

Their foreheads touched softly and then their noses too, hesitantly. Callie pulled away, but just only enough to catch the features of the woman in front of her. The Latina studied every part of Arizona's face. Even under the skies of the moon, she could see every freckle that she had already memorized in the daylight. Her eyes caught the creases on each side of the blonde's lips that were, of course, the result of Arizona's permanent, infectuous, amazing smile.

Without another thought, Callie closed the distance between them and met her lips with Arizona's. Soft, gentle lips. It was unlike anything Callie had ever known. Or felt. And it was amazing.

And passionate. It was weeks and weeks of the love that had been building between them. It was making up for all of the times they had wanted to do this, but never felt like they could. They both took turns inhaling sharply during the kiss. Hands tangled in hair, fingers grasped at necks. And then it calmed down, slowly and sweetly. With absolute, adoring love.

In this moment, Callie knew this was what it felt like to really love someone - to love every part of them without wondering even caring why. Her heart swelled and she broke the kiss before she felt like she was going to bust open. Pulling away, reluctantly, the Latina spoke.

"This is," she looked down between her feet before raising her eyes again. "This whole summer - everything about this is crazy."

Callie waited for some kind of answer from the woman in front of her. When only a smile came, assumingly wanting her to go on, she took Arizona's hands into her own and continued. "And I'm so crazy for you, you have no idea."

"Callie, I-"

"Arizona, I have fallen in love with you. Completely and totally." She scooted closer. "I just -I just love you, so much. I love everything about you." Her words were coming out all on a whim. "Never in a million years did I thi-"

Arizona cut her off with another kiss, one so soft and so intimate that Callie felt her already overwhelmed heart swell ten-fold.

Just then, the sky above them lit up with fireworks that the group back at the dock had set off. Arizona glanced at the brunette, who was already looking at her. She could only smile. "You make my heart giggle too, Calliope."

It was at that moment that Arizona realized she was, indeed, in love with the woman sitting in front of her. She brushed the back of her hand against Callie's cheek. "What do you say we get back to the others?"

"I guess we can do that." the brunette said with a content smile.

They made the short trip back to the marina, but this time Callie sat on the back bench with Arizona. The two girls held hands as the blonde steered the boat from behind.

Mark and the guys were still shooting fireworks when they got back. Arizona decided to dock her skiff in front of the pier rather than at the end, saving them a long walk. She tied up to the ladder and she and Callie climbed up.

"Hey! Where have you guys been?" Cristina asked the girls, clutching a cup of beer in her hand. "You're missing it, dumbasses!"

"Ahhh, we have plenty left." Mark shouted, grabbing another can from the coller behind him.

"We were just over in the creek. We saw some of it on the way back." Arizona replied, looking over at Callie.

"Don't worry, sis. It's only the beginning! You just wait till later on, right Steph?"

"Yeah man!"

Not long after, Meredith pulled up to the dock in her boat and she and Derek joined the group. Derek introduced her to everyone as the two grabbed drinks for themselves. Callie and Arizona were getting the low down from Mark about the fireworks he was about to shoot. Out of the blue, and without hesitation, Callie grabbed Arizona's hand with her own, lacing their fingers together.

"Hey Callie, watch this." Mark got a pack of firecrackers out. He lit the fuse and quickly tossed them over by James's feet.

_Pop pop pop pop pop pop pop!_

Everyone's attention turned to James jumping around the cracks. "Damnit, Mark! You made me spill my beer!" Everyone giggled and returned to their conversations.

Since Arizona was done driving for the night, she decided to have some wine. Still holding Callie's hand, she went into the marine store and grabbed a bottle from the refrigerator.  
"Have a glass with me?" she asked the bruette.

"Sounds nice." Callie nodded with a smile, tucking her hands in her back pockets.

The girls heard running feet coming down the dock. Steph, James, George, Addison, Cristina, Erica, and Adele ran by the door. "Woooo hoooooo!" they called as the jumped into the water. Arizona and Callie stuck their heads out of the door and looked to the right where the end of the dock was. "They're nuts!" Arizona said.

"Alright guys, get back up here. I'm getting ready to light a balloon. " Mark called form the dock as he cut a piece of fuse.

"Hoooo ooooh boy, this is gonna be rich!" James said, climbing up the ladder.

Callie looked at Arizona with questioning eyes. "What does he mean, he's gonna light a balloon?"

Arizona put her arm around the brunette's shoulder and smiled. "You'll see."

Every year for the 4th, after Mark's personal fireworks display, he fills up a punch balloon with oxygen and acetylene and lights it. It doesn't seem like much, but it is a traditional addition to his show.

Mark tied up the balloon at the left end of the gas dock while the others stayed back by the marine store.

"This is probably the loudest thing you will ever hear, so you might want to cover your ears." Arizona suggested to Callie.

"Really? That little balloon is gonna be loud?"

"Oohhhhhh, yeah." Everyone said in unison.

Mark lit the fuse and ran back to join the others. Everyone looked on with their ears plugged, awaiting the explosion.

_"BOOOOOOOOOOM!"_

The dock shook a little as everyone cheered on.

"Arizona, the window of the dock store just shattered."

"Yeah," The blonde nodded non-chalantly as she sipped her wine. "We have to replace it every year because of this."

Slowly, the crowd began to die down. People headed home or went to camp out on their boats. Adele and Richard took care of putting way all of the food and George took the trash cans with him to the yard. After awhile, the only people left were Callie and Arizona, Steph and Addison, and Meredith and Derek. They all sat down on the end of the dock, feet dangling off the edge.

**"Say, my love, I came to you with best intentions  
You laid down and gave to me just what I'm seeking  
Say, love, you drive me to distraction**

Celebrate we will  
'Cause life is short but sweet for certain  
We climb on two by two  
To be sure these days continue  
Things we cannot change…"

Callie listened to the music and thought of the night. Addison, who had been with Derek was sitting with Steph, her ex-boyfriend. Derek, who was Addison's kinda something-but-not-really-anymore, was cozy with Meredith. And she, who had come to this marina with Steph, was sitting next to Arizona.

**"Celebrate we will, you and me  
Climb on two by two,  
to be sure these days continue  
Things we cannot change…"**

All of them looked at each other in amazement, wondering how they had gotten there - 'there' meaning with one another. Callie looked at Arizona, who had already been eyeing the brunette. Callie took Arizona's hand in her own and rested her head on the blonde's shoulder. Yes, this was right to Callie. It was the best 4th of July she had ever spent with anyone. It was a perfect moment with the perfect person. It was love on the water.

* * *

Song credits to DMB - "Best of What's Around"


End file.
